Before There Were Fairy Tales
by Fae-Hime
Summary: At 10 yrs old, Kagome fell through time, becoming friends with a snobby princess and a demon with a serious height complex. Soon she gets caught in a war that threatens to destroy those she loves, as well as herself. A tale about a friendship that endures the centuries, a sacrifice that redefines the course of history and a love that defies the boundaries of time.
1. Chapter 1

**Before There Were Fairy Tales...**

by Faehime

**Chapter One: **_A Time Before Remembering..._

"**Kagome!**"

Light seared through the darkness, pooling harshly out from the open door. A dark figure darted carelessly from the house, escaping into the elements as cries of worry chased after her. Heedless of the calls, the small figure hastened forward into the stormy night, intent on her goal.

She was running away.

With each sharp slap of her sandals, the young girl pulled further away from the solemn faces and reddened eyes of her family; from the strained whispers and pitying glances; from the harsh reality that was now laying 6 feet beneath the ground over which she ran. Rain poured from the sky in a violent deluge of ice, hiding the evidence still streaming from her eyes. Kagome could hear her mother's voice calling her, the sound closer than it should be. Pushing herself, the distraught girl quickened her already frantic pace.

'_Daddy..._'

The thought ripped a sob from her throat as her chest burned painfully. Turning the corner of the shrine, Kagome made a beeline for her hiding place, the one only she knew about now. The cobbled stones were water-slick, and half-way to her goal her feet slid out from under her. Crashing to the ground, mud and debris patterned her black yukata, staining the already saturated fabric to match her bitter-tinted eyes. Scraps on both arms and hands weeped thin lines of blood as she pushed herself up slowly to her knees, eyes focused on her goal.

"D-daddy...please... it hurts..." A torn palm clutched at her chest, where the burning was increasingly consuming her her body with a paralyzing agony. Breathing harshly, Kagome wobbled when she regained her footing, trudging forward determinedly as needles of chilly rain stung the exposed flesh of her face and arms.

The well-house slid open for her easily, welcoming her with it's musky darkness that held some of her fondest memories. This had been their secret place after all, one that even her mother didn't know about. On days when she'd done poorly on a test, or she'd been feeling forgotten because of the new baby, Kagome had often come here to hide away from everybody to nurse her wounds.

But **he** always found her. Her father would climb down the rickety ladder and hold her tightly as she cried, or tickled her to remind her that she could still laugh despite her sadness. They'd played games in the early mornings and told stories from deep within the shaft of the old well as the moon shone through the wood planks of the structure. In those stolen moments, he was hers, and no one else's. But now...

Now she was trying to escape those memories. Because he was gone, and she was alone in a well-house that echoed with nothing but silence.

Kagome felt more heat cutting down her cold cheeks, and shut her eyes against the bittersweet flashes of times that would never be again. Her legs began shaking as the pain pulsed beneath her hand, radiating through her extremities and stealing her breath away. Stumbling forward, she threw her leg over the edge, noticing that she'd lost one of her sandals at one point as she felt the rung of the ladder beneath her bare toes.

Moving down the familiar wooden bars, she froze half-way down, belatedly remembering that it had rotted apart earlier that month, and her dad had promised to fix it for her as soon as he could. Clinging tighter to the ladder, Kagome allowed her sorrow to consume her as she recalled the reason why he wouldn't be able to keep that promise.

_The hollow shriek of tires grinding in protest against the rough asphalt..._

An bone-snapping pressure accompanied by the world pitching sharply, over and over and **over**...

The sickening taste of copper, hot as it washed across her face and in her mouth...

The sensation of drowning in her father's blood as his dark eyes stared lifelessly at her...

Memories assaulted her mercilessly, and her grip loosened with each terrifying image, smell and sensation that asserted itself from that terrible day. If only she hadn't been so insistent that they go to the store to get wood. If only she hadn't pestered him to drive faster. If only she hadn't distracted him at that stop light.

The two words became a mantra straight-stitched to her heart as guilt and regret consumed her young, innocent soul.

"It's my f-fault. I didn't mean it daddy, I-I'm so s-sorry," she whimpered, the tears freely falling her her voice broke on a keening wail. "**Please** daddy... please don't be dead."

Searching the darkness for the bottom of the well, Kagome tried to blink away the water clouding her already hindered vision. Shifting her hold to get a better grip, her sandal-shod foot slipped, and as she fell into the darkness with a sharp gasp, she couldn't help but _wish_...

~O~

The soft chirping of insects penetrated the fog in her head, and Kagome's eye fluttered open. Lifting her head, she peered into the darkness around dazedly.

"Did I fall asleep in the well?"

With a grunt, the brown-eyed girl stood, a hand pressed against the side of her head as pain pierced through her temple. Feeling wetness, she quickly pulled her fingers away only to see them coated in a dark liquid.

"When did I..." Kagome began, trembling at the sight of her own blood as she tried to remember how she came to be at the bottom of the well. Something glinted from between her fingers, and looking at the ground she realized she was staring at a small puddle. Taking in the mud at the base of the shaft and all over her, she felt her confusion increase dramatically.

'_How did the rain get inside the well-house? Wait- rain..._'

Memories of her flight from her own home to her secret hiding place rushed through her, and the girl recalled slipping from the ladder. Having answered the question of how she'd hit her head, Kagome frowned thoughtfully at the cold mud clinging spitefully to her feet as she moved to the wall. There was still the matter of why there was mud and water in the bottom of a dry well, but she dismissed the mystery for another time. Right now, she needed to get out of the well and back to the house.

"I'll have to explain to mama how I got hurt," she murmured dejectedly to herself as her eyes sought the bottom rungs of the ladder. She wasn't relishing the thought of sharing her hiding place, and as she tried to formulate a convincing lie Kagome failed to notice that the ladder was nowhere in sight at first. After a few more minutes of searching fruitlessly, she finally realized that not only was there no familiar ladder but there was no _roof_! She could clearly see the moon glowing innocuously down from the star-freckled sky, illuminating more than it had intended to the poor, heart-sick girl.

Collapsing as her legs went numb with shock, she could only stare in disbelief. Had the storm been worse than she thought? Had the well-house been destroyed? If the storm had gotten that bad, then what about the shrine? And...

"The house... oh no!" Fear driving her, Kagome rushed to the walls once more, small fingers digging at the rough wooden planks as she tried to find a way to climb out of the well. Splinters and scraps soon decorated her hands, and desperation began to claw at her insides.

"**Mama! Souta! Grandpa!**" Her screams echoed around her as horrible scenarios began to play in her mind's eye. The destroyed remains of her house spread across the shrine grounds; her family buried, trapt beneath the debris, dying or already dead. Her little brother's favorite teddy bear covered in blood, laying inches from a small, cold hand...

"_**Mama!**_"

Tears once more burned paths down her cheeks as her fingers scrambled for purchase, heedless of the skin being torn from her hands. Her once favored hiding place had become her prison, an obstacle between her and what remained of her family.

'_I can't lose them too..._' her thoughts whimpered urgently. Triumph washed over her as she found anchoring in the vines lacing down the walls. Pulling, her muscles protested as she began to climb upwards at an agonizingly slow pace. Biting her lip in concentration, Kagome ignored the pain in her arms and shoulders, continuing her upward ascent with a grunt of determination.

"I'm... coming, everyone," she muttered breathlessly, one small, bloody hand finally gripping the lip of the well. Panting with effort, the young girl managed to heave her upper body onto the edge. Shoving her knee beneath her, she used the last of her flagging energy to shove herself over the side, tumbling gracelessly onto the grass-cushioned ground.

Body shaking with exhaustion and stress, Kagome crawled to her feet, bracing herself against the well as she tried to catch her breath. Eyes firmly on her feet, she suddenly didn't want to look up, didn't want to see the damage the storm had cause. Swallowing her trepidation, she finally looked up, prepared for the worst, prepared to to see the rest of her world destroyed, taken from her as her father had been.

But there was _nothing_. No shrine, no house, no debris strewn about by the merciless storm.

No family.

"Where... where did it all go?"

As the adrenaline seeped from her veins, Kagome felt exhaustion overtaking her shock, and she could only stare about herself in disbelief. At length, she forced her legs to move forward, carrying her towards the only other familiar landmark she could see- Goshinboku. Her steps were faltering, but still she continued, wracking her brain to make sense of her situation.

"There was no ladder or well-house, and it doesn't even look like there has _ever_ been a shrine in this area," she listed, absently pushing through the foliage impeding her path. Stepping gingerly around protruding roots, she approached the sacred tree she'd known for ten, long years, brows furrowed in concentration.

Something was off about Goshinboku, but what she didn't know. Circling the tree, she allowed her abused fingers lightly over the unmarred bark, searching for some clue of what had changed. As she considered what could possibly be wrong about the ancient oak, her fingers completed their invisible path over the rough, unblemished bark and everything inside Kagome clicked.

'_It's not something that's wrong... it's something that's _not_ wrong!_'

Eyes wide wide with her epiphany, the young girl reached her hand up to brush under the spot where there should have been a large scar, evidenced by smooth bark-less wood marred with a deep but small gouge. As she continued to stare uncertainly, all the discrepancies began to fall into place and in the wake of the obvious came an echo of the moment after she fell from the ladder.

_I wish I could go back and make things right..._

"I... did I **wish** myself here?" Wonder dripped from her voice, and relief squeezed her heart as she realized something else. "Then... that means everyone's okay. I just have to go back!"

Turning abruptly, she hastened back the way she came, ignoring the branches and vines that tangled in her hair and caught at her feet. She tripped once or twice, but immediately rolled back to her feet, hope and excitement renewing her strength.

'_If I came to the past through the well, then I should be able to get back the same way!_'

Lungs burning as she exerted her already spent body, Kagome broke the treeline only to skid abruptly to a halt. Two things quickly made themselves apparent to the suddenly frozen girl. First, the well she'd just struggled out of was utterly gone. Secondly, standing next to where it had only moments before stood was an armored figure... staring straight at her.

The absence of what she had been sure was the way home overshadowed the presence of the stranger, and with trembling knees she walked forward, closing the distance between the where the well had stood and herself. Her eyes never left the empty patch of ground where a wooden structure should have been, and when she drew even with the tall, imposing figure she couldn't be bothered to spare the individual a single glance.

The silence drew out, wind rustling through the tall grass as Kagome's eyes burned fiercely. No tears came this time though, and with a dry sob she clenched her fists inf frustration as her predicament settled on her shoulders.

'_I'm... I'm stuck here without the well. What am I going to do?_'

"Who are you small one?"

A calloused hand tilted her chin up suddenly, and she immediately took notice of her unknown companion. Long black hair framed a pale face adorned by four small marks on a smooth forehead. Brown, detached eyes seemed to be measuring her, searching her own face for the answer she had yet to give the armor-clad woman. Kagome hesitated, seeing the sword at the strange woman's hip and suddenly understanding just how very alone she was.

The woman must have noticed the fear in her eyes, for she slowly knelt, bringing her face down to the young girl's level and placed a hand on each of her shoulders. Something in her face softened, and Kagome's lip wobbled when she said, "Do you need help, small one?"

Nodding, Kagome managed to whisper, "My name is Higurashi Kagome, miss...?"

An approving smile tilted the woman's stern mouth, and she kindly supplied, "I am called Midoriko, Higurashi-chan. I'll help you as best I can, but first I need you to answer a question for me."

Glancing over at the perfectly for square of dirt surrounded by tall grass, the prompted, "Do you by chance know what happened to the Bone-Eater's Well?"

~O~

"So, when you came back to the well, it was gone?"

Kagome nodded, picking listlessly at the hem of her dirty yukata. She'd told Midoriko-sama everything that had happened, along with her theory that she'd somehow arrived in this time from the future. The woman had questioned her about every detail, and now sat across from her deep in thought. For her part, she just wanted to curl up somewhere and go to sleep. Here lid felt heavy and ever so ofter her body shuddered in protest at not being allowed to relax and recover from the events of the day. Midoriko's smooth as cream voice recaptured her attention, and she looked at her inquisitive companion wearily.

"What year was it when you fell in the well, Higurashi-chan?"

Kagome sighed, pulling her knees up and resting her chin on them as she responded, "It's 1992."

"1992... that would mean you've crossed through seven-hundred and forty-five years... But what could have caused such a thing?"

Kagome watched as her eyes drifted back across the field, and shame colored her voice as she admitted, "It's my fault. When I fell I... I made a wish."

Brown eyes lighter than her own cut back to the young girl's face, and she continued, "I wished I could go back and make things right."

Midoriko's eyes narrowed thoughtfully, and her mouth opened, the question evident on her face. Her lips snapped back together just as quickly, and once more Kagome felt as though she was being examined. She couldn't help but wonder if the strong woman would see the darkness eating away at her soul. The sun was setting, and still the ten-year old girl had not slept or eaten, leaving her feeling terribly weak and exposed.

At length, Midoriko spoke, her tone filled with consideration and appraisal. "I think I know someone who can help you, Higurashi-chan. Someone who can keep you safe while you try to figure out how to get back home, and can provide more information than I."

Kagome watched as she stood, reluctantly following her unspoken command to follow as the woman headed for a path she had neglected to notice earlier in her flight.

"Who?" She asked, hope once more rousing her to attention. Midoriko never turned as she answered curtly, her steps confidant and pace brisk.

"**The Lady of Setsuna.**"


	2. Chapter 2

**Before There Were Fairy Tales...**

by Faehime

**Chapter Two:**_ An Accidental Destiny_

They traveled for several hours along the path before Midoriko allowed them to stop for the night. Shoulders drooping, Kagome settled herself against the base of a tall oak as the older woman set about making a fire with some flint she carried in a pouch at her waist. Since telling her of their destination, Midoriko had not spoken again, and the young girl couldn't help but feel grateful.

While normally she would be salivating for conversation, she was too drained to care right now, and honestly wanted to avoid talking about anything that could remind her of her current plight. Even her thoughts seemed reluctant to violate the weary apathy that was clouding her mind, and Kagome was content to simply sit and allow herself to slowly become numb.

"Here, you need to eat, Higurashi-chan."

Midoriko's declaration had her turning dull eyes to look at the food being offered on the woman's outstretched palm. A couple of pieces of what appeared to be dried meat, some mushrooms and a small bundle of long, leafy stems were set into her lap after she failed to take them herself. Stomach gurgling petulantly at the sight of food, Kagome tentatively plucked a mushroom from the fare and sniffed it before popping it in her mouth.

Chewing slowly, she was surprised at the pleasant if musky flavor, and when she finally swallowed the young girl tucked into the rest of her meager feast with vigor. The yellow-green stems had a stringy texture to them that nearly had her gagging, but she quickly repressed the urge in favor of getting the sweet stalks into her suddenly voracious body. White teeth tore at the jerky, and she hummed in delight at the smoke-bittered taste of it, savoring each hastily swallowed bite. She quickly consumed the lot, and though she was still quite hungry Kagome felt somewhat better and more like herself than she had in several days.

Remembering her manners, the young girl ducked her head in embarrassment before saying, "Thank you, Midoriko-sama. For everything."

Sincerity heavy in her voice, she chanced a look at her companion, only to see cool, detached eyes once again looking at her strangely. Blinking, she squirmed in discomfort under the woman's penetrating gaze. An awkward silence fell between them, and she took the opportunity to look around at her surroundings. They'd moved some distance from the path when they'd settled for the night, and for the first time since she'd woken up in the well, Kagome felt appreciation for the natural beauty sheltering them.

The trees were stained in the warm colors from their small campfire and back-lit with cool moon-glow. The ground was dry and covered with a downy carpet of short grasses, feathery moss and dew-softened leaves. The mixture created a pliant cushion, and in the shadows caused by the flames, the forest floor transformed into a textured painting of light and dark. Looking up through the ample foliage, Kagome was disappointed to note that the sky was barely visible, blocked by a scribbled mass of crisscrossed branches and webbed leaves.

The tension gradually relaxed, and soon the young girl dozed off, slumping against the oak behind her as immeasurable fatigue beckoned her into a dreamless slumber. Midoriko's gaze never strayed from the ten year old's pale and mud-smudged face, her mind fluttering with a deepening curiosity.

'_Who is this child really...?_' she pondered, hand settling over her ribs firmly as her brows puckered with concern.

She had been traveling for days at an easy pace, heading to the Western Shiro at the behest of the current Lord, when she'd felt her soul stretch uncomfortably. Following the direction of the pull, she'd found herself at the infamous clearing that housed the Bone-Eaters Well, only to find it noticeably absent. Inspecting the ground where it had stood, Midoriko eliminated the possibility that it had been torn down and filled in, for the ground still crackled with the remnants of the structure's ancient magic.

Caught up in her investigation of the energies both there and not, the warrior had been jerked back to awareness by her soul yanking at the tethers that wove it to her body once more. Whipping around, she been taken off-guard by the appearance of a ebony-haired child standing in the eve of the forest. Covered in filth and riddled with shallow injuries that were concentrated on her hands, the girl had looked ready to collapse where she stood. Thus, when she stumbled forward with a sort of blank desperation on her drawn face, Midoriko had been surprised and impressed.

It was only as the girl drew closer that the miko had realized the strain on her soul was originating from the small, mud-caked figure.

Even now, staring at the innocent face of her new charge, the mature woman could feel her spirit quivering, reaching out towards the young figure laying vulnerable only a few feet from her. It was uncomfortable and unsettling, making Midoriko wary of her decision to help the girl.

'_I must investigate this matter further with Kuenai... she'll be able to help me unravel this mystery._'

Thinking about her childhood friend, Midoriko felt a measure of calm soothe her jangled nerves. The Lady of Setsuna was well known for being clever and highly knowledgeable, which is why she'd decided to take Higurashi there in the first place.

'_The detour will cost me several days of travel,_' she thought, '_but I can't keep her with me, and that woman absolutely loves a challenging puzzle._'

Resolute in her decision, she concentrated, raising a barrier around the camp before settling down to catch a few hours sleep before dawn. Tomorrow, they would travel to a nearby village so she could get Higurashi cleaned up and properly dressed, and by the next afternoon they would arrive at the Setsuna Shiro.

~O~

Kagome couldn't help but look around with awe at the sprawling grounds of Setsuna. Pattern-cobbled walkways were freckled with glimmering stones of orange and russet that smoldered under the afternoon sun. Rustling boughs draped gracefully from the willows standing guard along the path to the main entrance, an ornate set of carved wooden doors framed by two jade statues.

Each green obelisk was sculpted in the image of a crane at attention, wings spread in a way that was both a welcome and a warning. The statue to the left had it's head raised, neck stretched upwards towards the sky, while the one to the right had it's deadly beak pointed towards the ground, polish-bright eyes piercing as it stood witness to the coming and goings of the shiro. Kagome could only stare as her new guardian spoke with one of the servants.

Over the past two days, the young girl had come to find that Midoriko was a highly reserved individual, but also very kind. Fingering the melon colored yukata she'd been given yesterday, she couldn't help but feel grateful that the first person she'd met in this time was happened to be the woman in front of her. In the village they'd stopped in for supplies, Kagome became aware that her current guardian was a well known and respected miko, and that knowledge made the young girl feel much more secure about her current problems.

"Please inform the Lady Kuenai that Midoriko humbly requests an audien-"

"**_RIRI-CHAN!_**"

Kagome jumped, peering curiously around her guardian to see who had interrupted the rather serious woman. Approaching them was a woman with a mass of unruly, brown hair held up with mismatched chopsticks, skeins of it fluttering loosely in her face and about her slender shoulders. The lady was shorter than Midoriko, and swathed in a multilayer kimono that engulfed her slender figure. When she got close enough, the exuberant woman threw her arms around the miko gracelessly, smiling as she laughed with delight.

"Oh Riri-chan, it's been so _long_!" Her voice pitched upwards at the end, the sound reminding Kagome of a squeaky toy that her cat, Buyo, frequently played with.

"It is good to see you again, Kuenai," Midoriko responded, an easy smile relaxing her face into something far more open than anything the young girl had seen in the past two days. "I fear this is not a casual visit however, and there are matters I must discuss with you immediately."

Kuenai flapped a hand dismissively, clucking her tongue in playful reprimand, "Always so formal, Riri-chan! With you, I am and always will be Kuku!"

'_...for cocoa puffs!_'

Something about the woman's bubbly statement summoned up memories of Kagome's favorite cereal commercial, and a giggle slipped from between her lips at the flippant if inadvertent thought. The osund must have caught the lady's notice, and instantly she found herself the focus of a pair of goose-gray eyes peering over an armored shoulder.

Flushing at the attention, Kagome swallowed before bowing politely like her mother had taught her. Before she could straighten, an ink-worn sleeve broke into her field of vision. Stained fingers emerged from beneath the ruined fabric, and in moments the young girl was subjected to the sounds of cooing as her cheek was pinched unpleasantly.

"She's _so_ adorable! Who is she, Riri-chan? Surely not yours? My brother would not be pleased you know. Look at her cute little frown! Why is she with you/i? Where-" Kuenai rambled off questions without waiting for answers, and Kagome couldn't help but see the resemblance between the woman and her father. Before the accident, her dad had a habit of tackling her when she came home from school or after a long business trip, pinching her cheeks as he fawned over her. Often he would start asking her so many question so quickly that she would end up laughing too hard to form a response.

'_Daddy..._' she hastily pushed the melancholy thoughts away before they could drag more tears from her. Focusing on the woman who was now gently tugging on **both** of her cheeks, she rolled her eyes pleadingly towards Midoriko, silently begging for her to intervene before the inquisitive Kuenai left permanent fingerprints on her face.

"Kuenai-" the miko cut off as the woman in question glared fiercely, lips puckered with unhappiness. Sighing patiently, she corrected, "Kuku-chan, you might not want to break your newest puzzle before you get a chance to solve it."

At the word puzzle, the excitable lady released her hold, peering one more at Kagome before turning back to Midoriko, expression full of mischief. The young girl shivered at the slightly predatory grin, rubbing at her abused cheeks as she listened to the exchange.

"I do love a good intrigue, but... what could possibly be mysterious about one small girl?" Her voice was challenging, and Midoriko happily did not disappoint.

"For one, that child before you hasn't been **born** yet."

~O~

After Midoriko's revelation they had quickly retired to Kuenai's personal rooms, where she'd formally introduced herself to her newest guest. The Lady of Setsuna turned out to be a wholly delightful person, and Kagome had quickly forgiven her for the enthusiastic greeting.

Her husband had died some years ago due to an illness that had ravaged the land. Kuenai, being more learned than most women of the time, had easily taken over the responsibilities of running the lands belonging to the Setsuna line. The only family the woman had left were her daughter and younger brother, who served as a diplomatic adviser to his sister.

"I met Riri-chan after I married my husband," she explained, pouring tea for each of them with a grace Kagome wouldn't have thought the disheveled woman possessed. "She was visiting our court on business, and I was immediately besotted with her!"

"Which is why she tried repeatedly to humiliate me for two weeks straight," Midoriko calmly interjected, blowing to cool her tea before taking a sip.

Kuenai flapped her hands dismissively. "Oh, don't listen to that old fuss-pot. She is forgetting about my many invitations to tea-"

"She slipped sake into my cup in an attempt to get me drunk..."

"...and the kimono's I sent her-"

"She cut a hole in the back of them so as to make me appear indecent..."

"...or that time I allowed her to use my personal hot springs-"

"Which turned out to be the male servant's bath house-"

"But enough about us," the flustered lady interrupted, her smile looking a bit strained and her eye having developed a rather noticeable tick. "Obviously, there are some discrepancies between our recollection of events, but suffice it to say we quickly became the closest of comrades."

Kagome looked between the two women over the rim of her cup, resisting the urge to snort into her tea at their teasing banter. It was amusing to watch, and she was feeling more and more comfortable by the minute. Clearing her throat, Kagome decided it was time to explain her situation, lest Kuenai loose the little composure she had remaining.

"I can see that," she agreed, smiling sincerely. Picking nervously at her nails, she glanced to Midoriko, who nodded encouragingly, before continuing.

"I'm not really sure where to start," Kagome admitted.

"Well, a good place to begin would be by telling me _how_ you can be sitting here sipping tea if you have yet to be born, Higurashi-chan?" The playful tone was still there, but the young girl could hear the serious curiosity in the question.

"Well, that's because I was... **will** be born in the year 1982. Two days ago, I fell into the Bone-Eater's Well on my family's shrine, and woke up in this time," she explained. Over the course of the next few hours she told the woman everything, from why she had been in the well-house to how she had figured out that she had gone back in time.

Midoriko pitched in now and then, offering small tidbits of information that Kagome had skipped over, or offering a different perspective. Her friend listened attentively, asking them both pointed questions occasionally before lapsing back into silence. When the young girl brought up her theory about wishing herself into the past, Kuenai had become immensely intrigued, eyes glittering as she leaned forward eagerly.

"Wait, what _exactly_ did you wish for? Tell me the precise words you spoke."

"Well, I didn't really _speak_ them," Kagome hedged, picking once more at her yukata. "I just thought it to myself."

Seeing the expectant looks she was being given, she quickly caved, reciting, "I wish I could go back and make things right."

Frowning thoughtfully, the Lady of Setsuna pressed, "You weren't more specific? You didn't frame a criteria for the time you wanted to go back to, or what you were wanting to fix?"

Discomfort growing, Kagome ducked her head, murmuring sullenly, "No."

"Interesting..." Kuenai trailed off, tapping her chin thoughtfully while her companions waited patiently. Relieve laced through the young girl as she realized she wasn't going to be questioned as to _why_ she had made **that** wish. With the goal of getting back home firmly in her mind, it had become easier to handle the pain of her father's death and the circumstances surrounding it; and honestly she didn't want to share even the memories of him with anyone yet.

"Well, I'm not sure what is going on, but I'm going to do my best to help you Higurashi-chan!" The chipper declaration had hope swelling in Kagome's chest, and she shot Midoriko and beaming grin. The miko returned the expression with a small smile of her own, but Kagome failed to notice that it didn't quite reach her eyes.

"You'll stay with me for the time being, and are welcome to explore the grounds at your leisure. I'll begin researching later this evening, but for now I want to catch up with Riri-chan before she has to leave."

Kuenai gestured for one of her personal attendants, and gave them instructions to take Kagome to the gardens and leave her with Izayoi, her daughter, while she had a room prepared for the young girl.

After the brightly smiling child had left, Midoriko turned to her long-time friend, voice stern with concern. "Will you be able to help her get home, Kuku-chan?"

A sigh huffed from between the lady's thin lips, eyes empty of any traces of the playful spirit she'd exhibited all afternoon. "Honestly, I don't know, but I am going to try. She's keeping something to herself about everything that's happened, but that isn't what bothers me.

Kuenai glanced toward the door Kagome had just left through before turning back to pin her companion with a grave expression. "Riri, I think that girl is _meant_ to be here."

Midoriko jerked with shock, brows furrowing as she asked, "How do you mean?"

Nail-bitten fingers rested calmly on the table between them as her friend explained, "Her wish. She didn't give it any boundaries, limitations, or definitions. If that wish **was** the catalyst for her traveling through time in a well that has _never _reacted to her presence before...

"...then it stands to reason that there is something in this time Higurashi is meant to fix."


	3. Chapter 3

**Before There Were Fairy Tales...**

by Faehime

**Chapter Three:**_ Of Likely Stories and Tall Tales_

'_This is taking forever..._'

Kagome pursed her lips as she leaned obediently against the wall, hands tucked behind her should another accident occurred. Shards of glossy clay covered the wooden floor at her feet, remains of what she was certain had been a rather expensive vase. The servant she'd been with had scurried off to get someone to clean up the mess over ten minutes ago, and showed no signs of returning.

'_I bet she thinks I'm the one who broke it,_' the young girl thought with an irritated huff as she recalled the scolding lecture she'd been given about not touching anything while the woman was gone. Of course, the evidence **was** against her at the moment...

* * *

She had been dawdling further and further behind the servant, looking at the many paintings and sculptures lining the hallways as they headed for the gardens. Without realizing it, Kagome had come to a complete standstill at some point, staring with awe at one of the largest ink drawings she'd ever seen. The battle being depicted was unlike any other she knew, and out of place amongst the other, more serene pieces in the shiro.

'_There's something familiar about this... like deja vu,_' Kagome thought to herself as her fingers lightly traced a thick, sepia swirl. '_But that's impossible. I've never been in a fight like this._'

She grimaced at that thought, remembering how her short-temper had gotten her into several scraps at school. Nothing serious, but she could still remember the arguments between her and her mother after each one. While the older woman was uncommonly gentle most of the time, when she got worked up it could be truly frightening. Kagome never backed down though, and fights often ended only when her dad stepped in to mediate. His cool head was a balm to both females, and he always knew when to stop them before either said something they didn't mean.

But he was gone now, and there was no one there anymore to keep them from fighting. No one to stop her or her mom from saying what was in their hearts.

Like the night she'd run to the well-house.

Kagome felt the familiar throb of pain centered over her heart begin to burn. Wincing, she pressed a hand to her chest, whispering uncertainly, "Mama didn't mean it. Even if it was true, she... she was just **mad**..."

Taking slow breaths, she managed to will away the unpleasant pressure after a few moments. The hurt was still fresh, and the young girl refused to dwell on memories of things she couldn't change.

'_Yet..._' her mind supplied hopefully. She didn't know how, but Kagome was determined she'd get back home and make things right with her mom. Feeling better, she turned her attention back to the enormous battlefield before her, her interest in the piece unhindered by her momentary distraction.

On one side stood countless demons of all kinds, gnashing long, blood stained claws, mouths gaping open to reveal rows of razor sharp fangs. Violent lines illustrated their dark intentions for the single figure before them, a muscular man fallen to his knees. Arms reaching forward, the individual seemed to be begging for his life, or trying to reason with the monsters about to gobble him whole.

Behind the man, in the center of the battlefield, was a battered warrior, armor covered in blood and guts from the many demons and men laying at his feet. Long, white hair trailed behind him, and the artist had even illustrated the nameless warrior's aura crackling dangerously around his body. In one of his hands hung the remnants of a broken sword, while the other arm seemed to be missing completely. Despite the figure's injuries, he was painted standing straight, bravery and determination in the lines of his shoulders as he faced down the looming threat before him.

And on the far side of the painting, standing witness to the battle were two children. The taller of the figures looked to be in her early teens, long hair floating to her lower back, while the smaller appeared to be closer to Kagome's age. Both of them were cast in shadows and covered in blood and grime, making it difficult to distinguish what they were wearing or the color of their hair and clothing. She could discern the smaller one straining to reach the warrior, hand outstretched towards the man in the center of the painting who appeared ready to battle the demonic hoard, or vanish beneath it.

"A beautiful drawing, isn't it?"

Kagome squeaked in alarm at the deep, booming voice from behind her. Turning, her mouth fell open as she took in the giant standing but a few feet from her. Peering around quickly, she tried to figure out how someone so massive had managed to creep up on her without making noise. Brown hair braided over a muscular shoulder, the loose tip hung to just above the man's broad waist. Dark brows were raised in amusement above surprisingly familiar goose-gray eyes and a friendly smile.

"I didn't scare you did I?" he inquired, the laughter in his voice charming the young girl instantly.

Returning his smile with a giggle, Kagome shook her head in response, "Only a little! My dad used to say I'm way too easy to sneak up on, 'cause I don't pay attention."

Humming in agreement, the man knelt down, resting one of his heavy hands on the top of her head. Leaning in, he confided, "My father used to say the same thing about my sister. So, she started learning how to keep a wary eye out, and now I can never spook her anymore."

His regretful tone made her laugh outright, and when he shook his head with an expression of long suffering, she had to cover her mouth with both hands to control herself. Sugared eyes still dancing with mirth, she asked, "You're Kuenai-sama's younger brother, right?"

Surprise lined his forehead with wrinkles, and something told Kagome he wasn't someone who was easily taken off-guard. While she wasn't as aware of her surroundings as she could be, the young girl prided herself on being "highly perceptive", as her mom would say. The hand on Kagome's head ruffled her hair gently as her companion chuckled.

"That I am, young lady! What gave it away, if I might ask?"

"You have the same eyes," she admitted. He clapped a hand over his face, hiding the telling orbs from her view as he groaned in defeat. Peeking out at her from between his fingers, he turned more towards her, bracing himself with a knee to the floor.

"Where **are** my manners?" Bowing awkwardly from his already bent position, he continued, "Tsukau no Setsuna, at your service, O wise One!"

Kagome bit her lip, resisting the urge to laugh again at the large man's exaggerated attempt at formality. Deciding to play along, she straightened her shoulders and placed her palms flat against her thighs, returning his bow with one of her own.

"Higurashi Kagome, my lord," she offered, lips still stretched playfully. She pointed to the drawing that had started the discussion, and asked curiously, "Can you tell me about this battle?"

Looking from the picture and back to her, Tsukau answered, "I can not, as it hasn't happened yet."

He must have seen the confusion on her face, because he explained, "My sister's late husband was fond of art and calligraphy, and would spend his free-time drawing or painting in the gardens while my sister read nearby.

"This," he gestured to the piece hanging on the wall, "was his courting gift to her."

Kagome blinked, staring at the violent image depicted, before saying bluntly, "But it's so... ugly!"

Booming laughter followed her statement, and she had to resist the urge to stomp off as her temper flared. Tsukau slapped his knee as tears streamed down his face, massive shoulders shaking at her audacity. After a few moments he calmed enough to gasp, "Well, you certainly aren't afraid to speak your mind, are you Higurashi-chan?"

"I didn't mean the drawing itself- it's very well drawn and everything. But..." she trailed off, flushing under his teasing gaze.

He nodded in understanding, offering, "**But**, it's not something one would _normally_ gift a female."

Sighing, he draped his arm across her shoulders lightly and pointed back at the battle-scene. "My sister had a similar reaction, but something about it caught her interest. You see, she knew that the Lord of Setsuna had a very rare and special gift, Higurashi-chan."

Leaning in, he stared at her beneath his brows as he whispered, "He had the ability to see things long before they happened."

Eyes wide with interest, her gaze never strayed as he continued, "It seems when he offered for her hand, a vision of this battle came to him, and he drew this that very same night. Knowing of Kuenai's love for a good mystery, he had the drawing delivered to her the next day as his first courting gift."

"Wow..." she breathed, impressed both with the former Lord's talents as well as his thoughtfulness. "So when will it happen?"

His expression was lined with confusion, and she clarified, "The battle? And who are the people in the drawing? What are they fighting about?"

His head pulled back as he narrowed his eyes at her, teasing, "Easy now, you are starting to sound like my sister."

Pleased by the comparison, she tilted her chin proudly and was rewarded by rumbling laughter once more. Shaking his head ruefully, he corrected himself.

"Never-mind, it's too late! You are already just like her!"

She waited patiently for Tsukau to finish laughing and answer her questions, liking the large man more and more with every passing minute. After clearing his throat he counted off his responses on calloused fingers.

"No one knows when it will happen, or what they are fighting about, and as to who the people are, we can only guess." Tapping the warrior in the center, he said, "Many believe this to be a daiyoukai, possibly one of the dog demons who rule over the West. It's the white hair, you see- the Western clan all have silver-white hair and golden eyes.

"Nothing is known about the other three." Kagome nodded, studying the man immediately in front of the demon hoard. Something about that one figure seemed so familiar, and she felt like she should know who it was. A soft tap on her nose brought her attention back to her companion, who was looking at her expectantly.

"I'm sorry, I didn't hear you," she ducked her head in embarrassment, smiling shyly.

He grinned encouragingly back, repeating, "I was just curious as to why your are wandering around my family's shiro on your own, Higurashi-chan?"

"Oh!" It was at that moment that the small girl realized she'd completely lost her guide, and belatedly remembered she was supposed to be going to the gardens to meet Izayoi.

"One of the servants was taking me to meet Izayoi-san while your sister caught up with Midoriko-sama. I guess I fell behind," she admitted sheepishly, rubbing the back of her head. Tsukau perked forward at the mention of the warrior-miko's name, and was about to say something when her missing guide suddenly appeared.

"Higurashi-chan! I thought I lo- Tsukau-sama!" The servant hastily bowed, her voice apologetic. "I apologize, my lord, I didn't see you there."

He lumbered to his feet once more, waving his hand dismissively. "There's no need to apologize, Rei. I'm afraid I lost track of time and have kept you from your duties."

Turning back to Kagome, he nodded politely before winking at her. "Thank you for keeping an old man company, Higurashi-chan. I hope to speak with you again soon."

"Thank you, Tsukau-sama, for answering my questions!"

When he'd disappeared around the corner, Kagome turned to follow after her ever-so-patient guide. They were nearly to the gardens when disaster struck. Lost once more in the images lining the walls, Kagome had failed to see that she was once again falling behind, along with the large fur rug adorning the floor. Shuffling along, she wasn't prepared for her foot to meet resistance, and with a gasp she fell forward, hitting the ground hard.

Standing, she was rubbing at the redness on her elbows when a loud crash made her freeze. Shoulders hunched, the young girl peered behind her only to see the shattered carnage of something that was more than likely **very** expensive. The impact from her fall had shifted the fragile piece, and as a result it had lost the fight with gravity and tumbled to the floor. As she stood there amongst the jagged pieces of clay, Kagome couldn't help but wonder at her chances of walking away without a backward glance. Unfortunately, that was when Rei found her, having rushed back after hearing the jarring sound...

* * *

'_It was an __**accident**__,_' Kagome insisted to herself, knowing that no matter what she said, things didn't look good for her. Frowning at the thought of being found standing next to the broken vase by someone else who might blame her, the ten year old decided she'd waited long enough. Carefully toeing past the outlying shards of pottery, she hurried down the hall and around the final corner.

Sliding doors covered in thin paper stood open, allowing a fresh, warm breeze to waft across Kagome's skin. Moving cautiously, she stood in awe at the sight before her. On her way here, nothing in the images that had filled her head reflected the beauty before her. The 'garden' was a vast, pale landscape of sand and stones of various shapes and sizes. Wooden arches and pathways weaved throughout the expansive enclosure, and neat, precise lines were raked into the white-grain covering, forming patterns and designs that must have taken hours if not days to create.

The trees and flowering plants from the front of the shiro were conspicuously absent in this oasis of bleached-artistry, and Kagome could only wonder as to the reason. Walking slowly, she began to wind her way along the provided paths, looking and listening for sounds of life. After ten minutes of searching for Kuenai's elusive daughter, she was ready to give up.

'_Maybe if I shout for her..._' she thought, but quickly dismissed the idea. Not only could the plan potentially backfire and raise some sort of unnecessary alarm, but the young girl doubted a princess would appreciate being hollered for by some stranger. Coming to a fork in the wooden walkway, Kagome was trying to decide which direction to go when she was once again caught unawares by a voice from behind. Swiveling around with a startled gasp, she found herself face-to-face with a girl wrapped in multilayer kimono and wearing a sour expression.

Long black hair fell loosely to her knees, bangs straight-cut over light copper eyes that were looking at Kagome like she was a bug. Her voice was light and reedy, and there was no mistaking the arrogance in her tone as she sharply demanded, "Tell me who you are and **what** you are doing in my _private_ gardens before I call the guards."

Staring at the shorter girl, who she could only assume was Izayoi, Kagome felt irritation beginning to needle her. When the girl tilted her chin to glare down her nose, a single thought entered the young girl's mind.

'_What a __**snob**__!_'

Scowling at the brat in front of her, she quickly decided that it would take a minor miracle for her to get along with this pretty-petty-princess...


	4. Chapter 4

**Before There Were Fairy Tales...**

by Faehime

**Chapter Four:**_Unacquainted and Unrequited_

Kagome held the shorter girl's stare for a moment longer, wondering if her threat about calling the guards was serious. It was only as Izayoi opened her mouth that she realized it was. Images flashed before her eyes of large, armored guards with cold faces clapping iron shackle to her wrists; weapons prodding her down a long, dark staircase, walls narrow and dripping with stale water and mildew. A tiny, pitch black cell, with no windows and only a pile of rotting straw to lay on.

'_I need to lay off the Brother's Grimm when I get home,_' she thought dimly to herself as images of being forgotten in the shiro's dungeon continued to plague her. Freaking out as her imagination ran rampant, she reacted on instinct, catching both herself and the princess off guard.

Lunging forward, she clapped a hand across Izayoi's mouth, clammy palm pressing firmly as she quickly announced, "Kagome! My name is Higurashi Kagome, and I came to meet you!"

The young girl's eye's were livid from the moment her mouth had been covered, but doubt soon replaced the anger. Slapping at the hand over her face with disdain, the princess asked sharply, "You came to my private gardens because you wanted to _meet_ me?"

'_I never said anything about _wanting_ to meet you,_' Kagome corrected internally, crossing her arms with a huff. Admittedly, when she had first heard of Kuenai's daughter, she'd been elated to know there was someone her age in the shiro. It looked like she'd be spending some time here while the Lady of Setsuna helped her figure out a way home, and having someone to play with would make the days much more pleasant.

On top of that, Kagome didn't have many friends back home right now. Aside from the fact that her short temper tended to drive most potential friends away, she didn't share a lot of interests with kids her age. Boy's like to play video games, or skateboard or watch TV, and girl's like to play dolls, or go shopping, or talk about boys. She simply didn't care for any of those activities, and instead explored other activities.

Kagome had been raised on legends by her father and grandfather, and would often spend her days daydreaming about the stories they told her. She'd play make belief and have quests across the shrine grounds where she could be the hero, and leave her mark on the shrines history. Knowing this, her father had recently gotten her several books of fairy tales, including the Brother's Grimm, and had been reading them with her each night before bed.

The young girl loved the idea of going on quests to defeat dragons and rescue damsels in distress, and while some of her friends were okay with those games, they still thought she was weird. Because Kagome never wanted to play the damsel in distress: even if there was a boy in the group, she wanted to play the hero. The thought of doing great deeds, protecting friends she made during her travels, and then being the one to save everyone was simply too enticing an idea for her to abandon, and the result was that many of the other kids simply stopped coming over.

Still, that didn't mean she was desperate.

"Actually, your mom sent me here so she could speak with Midoriko-sama," she admitted. Noting the stony expression creeping over the other girl's face, she hurried on, "She told me her daughter would be here and that we could get to know each other..."

With every word Kagome could see Izayoi growing more and more upset. She had obviously said just the wrong thing, and as the princess seemed to become more distant, she felt regret curl in her belly. No, she wasn't desperate, but she didn't want to fail before she'd begun to try.

Mouth twisting with disgust, the princess spat, "Why I want to get to know **you**? I don't need someone like you to keep me company."

Turning abruptly, she stalked away from Kagome, who could only stare after her with surprise. The bitter venom in the girl's voice had taken the ten year old off guard, and she couldn't figure out why the other girl had become so angry.

'_I know something I said upset her, but why couldn't she have just told me what it was?_' Kagome wondered to herself, feeling slightly put out at the other girl's attitude.

'_This stinks. I've known her for five minutes and she's already running away._'

Hands clenching, the young girl couldn't help the irritation that swam through her as she watched Izayoi's long black hair swaying back and forth with each step she took. Irritation both with herself for messing things up already, and with the princess, for not even giving her a fair chance.

"Hey!"

When the other girl didn't even pause, Kagome chased after her retreating form, long legs quickly closing the distance between them. Something about the girl's misplaced anger didn't feel right to her, and she was going to find out what was wrong. Grabbing the princess's shoulder, she pulled her to a stop with a sharp jerk.

"What's your prob-"

_**SMACK**_

Tingling pain spread across her cheek, and Izayoi's hand lowered slowly, eyes bright with outrage. Kagome was too shocked to react right away, her neck aching from the force of her head snapping to the side. Already she could feel the heat of a hand-print forming across her skin, and with trembling finger she lightly brushed the still sensitive area.

Lifting her nose into the air, Izayoi sneered, "How **dare** you touch me! Are you deaf- I said, I don't want to get to know you! So just go back where you came from and leave me alone!"

The coldness in her voice stung Kagome more then her slap had, and any anger she'd had disappeared at the princess's careless words. Something in the shorter girl's gaze betrayed her claim, and the young girl couldn't help but think that perhaps Izayoi simply didn't know how to rely on someone else. Thinking about all her stories in which there were princesses, Kagome couldn't remember any of them having a friend.

_~Sometimes the thing we want the most is the thing we didn't even know we needed.~_

The familiar phrase whispered through her mind as she tried to understand the girl before her. Kagome could remember her father's words after she'd found out she was going to be a big sister. At the time, she'd thrown a hissy fit, convinced she didn't need a little brother and that she would be forgotten. It was the first time her father had found her in the bottom of the well, where she sat crying angrily after having seen the sonogram of the life in her mother's womb.

He had quietly climbed down the ladder and pulled her into a hug, allowing her to vent her worries and frustrations without a single word. After she'd calmed down, his calloused fingers had brushed at the remains traces of tears on her face as he'd murmured those comforting and wise words.

It was only after her brother had been born that Kagome had come to realize what he had meant. As the months passed and her baby brother grew, she wasn't forgotten- in fact, she felt more needed and loved than ever. She became a model big sister, becoming more protective of him than either of her parents at times. When she played make-believe, he would become the baby Rumpelstiltskin was after, or the newborn prince cursed by an angry and evil fairy. Having a little brother allowed her to be the hero, and as a result Kagome became even closer with her family, and more comfortable with herself when friends gave up trying to understand her.

'_She may not _want_ me, but I bet she _needs_ a friend and just doesn't know it._' Kagome thought to herself sadly.

Despite the other girl's demand for her to leave, she simply **couldn't** walk away. Because while she might not be wanted, she decided she was definitely needed. Aside from that fact, the young girl had no where to go back to, and knew no one in this time. The thought of being alone did not sit well with Kagome, although she knew she wasn't entirely on her own. Midoriko had been kind offering her help, and Kuenai seemed sweet, if a bit nutty, but...

...it simply wasn't the same as having a friend. And with everything that had happened, that _was_ happening, Kagome could use one of those right now.

Taking a breath, she looked straight at the other girl and made her decision. It wasn't the ideal situation, and this girl definitely had some superiority issues, but she was going to try. Her mother had always said that the closest of friendships were the ones that took the most effort.

'_This isn't going to be easy, but the truth is..._'

"**I** need **you**."

Her voice was soft but firm. If the shocked look she was receiving was any indication, it wasn't what the pampered princess had been expecting to come out of her mouth, and that thought gave her a small amount of satisfaction. She'd always prided herself on being unpredictable, and while it didn't always work in her favor as evidenced by the slap she'd been given, at times it was well worth it to see the expression on people's faces. A moment passed in dead silence, neither of the girls looking away from the other. Kagome waited impatiently for Izayoi to say something, to react, and was soon rewarded for her efforts.

"Of course you do!" the short girl declared loftily, folding her hands into the sleeves of her kimono as she eyed Kagome with a measuring glance. Nodding to herself, she turned, striding forward once more with her chin shoved so high in the air, the futuristic girl was impressed the princess didn't trip over her long skirts.

"This way. I suppose it's my duty as princess to give you a tour of the gardens."

Her better-than-thou attitude still left something to be desired, but Kagome followed anyway, grateful for the small peace offering. It was a start at least, and in a beginning, the only place left to go was forward. A slight spring to her step, the young girl trotted off after Izayoi, eager to see where this new friendship would lead.

~O~

By the time supper was over, Kagome was rethinking her position on needing a friend. She had only been in Izayoi's company for a few short hours, and already she wanted to lock herself in her rooms until Kuenai found a way to get her home. She had done her best to remain optimistic, but she was beginning to think the princess was a lost cause. She would have already abandoned the shorter girl's company, if it had not been for the promise of a hot bath. Currently, they were making use of Kuenai's private hot springs, and the young girl was trying to let the welcoming heat soothe her frazzled nerves from the day.

"Higurashi, come wash my hair."

Kagome grit her teeth at the command, wringing the wash cloth in her hands so tightly she could hear the abused material creaking under the strain. The princess's tone brooked no argument, although she was about to get one regardless. Face pinched in annoyance, she turned to face the royal pain that had become the bane of her existence.

"No," she said, "I'm _not_ your servant, so **stop** telling me what to do!"

All day it had been one order after another, and Kagome was sick of it. Pick that flower, hold my skirts, pour me tea... the list of demands was endless, and each time she had refused, Izayoi had merely narrowed her eyes before acting as though she hadn't spoken. She also hadn't stopped ordering her around, but thankfully she hadn't pushed for any of her silly requests either.

This time however, the princess did, insisting matter-of-factly, "I'll do as I please. You're the one who said you needed **me**, not the other way around."

Tossing her wet hair over her shoulder as she turned her back, she demanded once more, "Now, wash my hair."

Eye twitching with anger, Kagome tried to calm down before her temper got her into trouble. She took deep breaths, rolled her shoulders, tried counting to ten, but nothing seemed to be helping. The young girl had never met someone so frustrating in her whole life, and something told her that if she managed to become friends with the arrogant child still waiting for her to do as she bid, it would be a minor miracle.

"What are you waiting for? Even someone as stupid as you should be able to figure out how to wash hair."

'_Scratch that, this is going to take an act of god._'

Suddenly the princess's failure to push her demands further before made sense. The little brat thought Kagome was simple, incapable of doing small tasks only because she had refused to do them at all. Eyes homing in on the bathing supplies, Kagome smiled with vindictive delight.

'_I'll regret this later, but she's asking for it._'

"Coming," she called, voice far too innocent as she waded to the side of the springs, digging through the jars until she saw the one she needed. Her dad had been big on using traditional bathing supplies, and she had paid attention to the different mixtures available. Pulling the thin, wax-cloth lid off the clay jar, she carefully made her way to where Izayoi waited, carefully avoiding breathing in the smelly fumes coming from inside.

The rotten girl never saw it coming. One instant she was waiting impatiently for her new companion to get started on her hair, and in the next she felt thick liquid oozing coldly along her scalp. Kagome scooped the last of the tar out as Izayoi spun around to yell at her, and with a wet plop she threw it onto her face. Grinning cheerfully as the sticky, smelly glob squelched down the princess's face, she waded over to the side once again to wash her hands of the thick mess.

As Izayoii sputtered in outrage, she climbed out of the springs, drying quickly before throwing a clean yukata on over her still damp skin. Hearing the other girl's abrupt noises turn into a squeal of fury, she called back over her shoulder teasingly.

"I guess you were wrong- looks like I'm nowhere near as smart as you, Izayoi-sama!"

And with that, she walked back to her room, the skip back in her step, although for entirely different reasons.

~O~

"Crap," Kagome moaned softly, looking up and down the hallway with worry. After leaving her annoying companion to work the sticky mess from her long hair, she'd quickly become lost in the shiro's expansive, winding halls. Having only been to her rooms once, it hadn't occurred to her that she would have difficulty finding her way back to them.

As a result, she'd been walking around aimlessly for the past twenty minutes, and was starting to get irritated again. She hadn't even managed to come across a servant or anyone who would be able to point her in the right direction, and she was starting to wonder if this was karma kicking in for the nasty trick she'd just pulled on Izayoi.

'_Not like she wasn't asking for it..._' she thought sourly to herself, looking at the new set of hallways before her with exhaustion. All she wanted to do was lay down and go to sleep, and at this rate she was almost willing to start barging into rooms until she found someone who could at least point her in the right direction. After a few moments of staring blankly down each hall, she did what any self-respecting 10 year old would in her place.

"Eenie, meenie, miney, moe..."

Her finger skipped from one direction to the next, and when it came to rest on the hallway to her right Kagome moved forward with confidence. Looking around her, she was relieved after a few moments when some of the paintings began to look vaguely familiar. At least her distraction earlier in the day had paid off finally. Feeling more at ease, she continued to follow the landmarks with a single-minded determination to get to her futon.

She was nearly to the painting of the battle when she heard them. Hushed voices murmured from around the next corner, and, curious, she slowed her steps, not wanting to alert whoever it was to her presence. Sidling along the wall, she strained her ears to hear what was being said between the two. Knowing perfectly well that what she was doing was the height of bad manners, the young girl simply couldn't bring herself to care as words began to filter into her ears. A deep, rumbling voice was the first to reach her, followed by a now-familiar female voice.

'_Midoriko-sama?_'

"I will be leaving in the morning, as I have duties elsewhere that cannot be delayed any longer," the miko said, her voice tight with politeness. Kagome couldn't recall having ever heard her speak that way before, and her brow crinkled as she continued to listen.

"That is a shame, as I know Kuenai misses your presence at court," the deep voice was filled with genuine regret, leading her to believe the Lady of Setsuna was not the only one who would miss Midoriko when she left. "Perhaps, after your duties are fulfilled, you would consider-"

"We have discussed this before. I am a miko, and a warrior, and as such my duties are never complete." The sharp rebuke cut through whatever the man had been about to suggest. "My place is not at court. It is out amongst the villages that need me-"

"_I_ need you." What the soft admission lacked in volume it made up for in intensity. Kagome could feel the passion the mystery man poured into his speech, and flushed as she realized that she might have stumbled upon on a love confession. Embarrassment filled her as the man continued, the heavy rumble of his voice echoing in the empty hallway.

"Please, Midoriko, you know how I feel about you," he murmured, before adapting a more commanding tone. "Say you will come back. Promise that you will return to me, for me."

Tension filled the air following his demand, and it soon stretch past the point of discomfort. Even Kagome was silently begging Midoriko to say something, anything into the empty void left in the wake of his words.

"You know my feelings on this matter. We will always be friends," the older woman's voice held a note of finality to it that had even her young heart breaking at the refusal she could hear in it.

"But I will never be yours, Tsukau-san."

'_Tsukau?!_' Images of the ridiculously tall man popped into her head, and she had to resist the urge to peek around the corner to see if it really was him. There was a soft rustling before Midoriko spoke again, her words freezing Kagome's blood with horror.

"Higurashi-chan, you can stop hiding now."


	5. Chapter 5

**Before There Were Fairy Tales...**

by Faehime

**Chapter Five:**_ And There Was War..._

Kagome came around the corner, shoulders drooping with embarrassment and shame. Both adult were halfway down the hall, although Midoriko was the only one facing her. Stopping a few feet from the stern miko, Kagome tried not to fidget under the woman's unwavering gaze.

Feeling the need to explain herself, she stammered, "I-I couldn't find my room, and then I heard voices and.. and I didn't want- I mean... I didn't mean to, but then I heard your voice and I... I..."

Lowering her eyes, Kagome's fingers twisted into her yukata. The young girl had never felt so stupid in her life as she did right now. It was bad enough that she had been listening to a private conversation in the first place, but to know that Midoriko had **known** she'd been there the whole time was simply...

'_Wait... how _did_ she know I was there?_'

She was positive that she hadn't made any noise, and there was no way the miko could have seen her. So how...? A shiver skated down her spine as she once more raised her eyes to Midoriko's, and decided that perhaps that was a thought best left for later consideration. Right now, she needed to focus on making things right, something she was finding herself doing more and more often of late.

"I'm sorry."

Her voice was so soft that she nearly repeated the apology, except for the fact that her throat had locked itself as soon as the words had left her lips. Chest tight, Kagome waited expectantly for either adult to blow up at her, to scold her about respecting people's privacy or tell her off for not letting them know she was there. Thus, she wasn't prepared for Tsukau to turn with soft bark of laughter.

"Well, Midoriko-sama, it looks like we have been found out!" He moved forward to stand next to the miko, who sighed before looking up, offering him a small, placating smile.

"So it would seem. I think listening to your romantic drivel may be punishment enough for Higurashi-chan, wouldn't you agree?" The tall man chuckled in protest, his expression both apologetic and amused.

"Drivel? My friend, you don't have a single, passionate bone in your body if that's what you think of my delicate notions!" Tsukau's face dripped with wounded pride, and he even went so far as to press a large hand to his heart with a theatrical flourish. Kagome felt a smile beginning to form and couldn't resist the urge when Izayoi's uncle winked in her direction playfully.

"Actually, I should escort the little lady to her room immediately. I fear your shrewd sentiments may rub off on her if she lingers in your presence a moment longer!"

Midoriko held her hands up in defeat, giving them a dismissive nod, "By all means, make your escape, Tsukau-sama."

"Come, Higurashi-chan, and I will deliver you safely to your quarters," he whispered, large hand resting encouragingly on her back. Kagome giggled, turning briefly as they moved off to wish Midoriko goodnight. The miko returned the gesture, but something in her expression seemed off. It was only after her former companion had disappeared from sight that she realized what had been wrong.

'_Her eyes,' she thought, nibbling her lower lip with worry. 'She was smiling, but... her eyes weren't._'

~O~

It didn't take them long to get to the room she had been given, and Kagome thanked Tsukau for his kindness. Before he could leave, she grabbed at the trailing sleeve of his kimono to stop him. She still felt horrible about having heard his conversation with Midoriko, especially since he had been rejected by the woman.

Gathering her courage, she murmured sincerely, "I really am sorry, Tsukau-sama."

Kind-gray eyes softened, telling her he understood what she wasn't saying. Crouching down with a huff, he laid a heavy hand on her head as he admitted, "So am I, Higurashi-chan."

Curious, she did her best to be sensitive to the man's feelings when she asked, "Do you love Midoriko-sama?"

He blinked at her forwardness in surprise, before smiling ruefully.

"We have been friends for a long time," he dodged, ruffling her hair slightly. "I met Midoriko long before Kuenai became the Lady of Setsuna, and have been witness to the responsibilities she carries.

"So yes, you could say that I love her."

Brows furrowing together, Kagome pursed her lips as she turned his answer over in her mind. Nodding, Kagome leaned closer, her voice conspiratorial.

"Then you'll definitely get her one day, Tsukau-sama." She gave him two thumbs up, grinning with encouragement. "So don't give up, okay?"

A strange light passed through his eyes at her words, and he looked at her hands with a baffled expression. Soon however, a grateful smirk replaced his confusion, head tilting to the side as he tweaked her nose.

"Of course, Higur-"

"**Kagome.**"

Another chuckle slipped from him and he nodded in understanding. "Of course, _Kagome_-chan."

Smiling at the familiar use of her name, the young girl acted on instinct once more, throwing her arms around Tsukau's neck happily. Happiness filled her when his strong arms returned her impromptu hug, and in that instant, Kagome didn't feel so alone or lost. Closing her eyes, it was easy for her to remember the feeling of her father's arms around her, and as her fingers twitched against the back of the large man's kimono, she allowed herself to feel the same sense of security from this stranger of the past.

"Now, to bed with you, little one."

Releasing her grip, she hummed in agreement, bowing politely once more before stepping back into her room and sliding the door shut. As she dressed for bed, Kagome remembered the odd look on Midoriko's face when they had gone to leave. There had been something unhappy about her eyes, and despite how attached she was growing to Tsukau, part of her felt bad for the older woman.

Often, when her father had left town on business, her mother had worn a similar look on her face. One day Kagome had asked her about it, worried that something was wrong. Her mother had smiled at her concern, explaining that she wasn't unhappy, so much as she was lonely. Not understanding, the young girl had pressed, pointing out that Souta and her were both there, along with her grandfather. Her mother had agreed, that it was true she wasn't alone, but that it was simply **different**.

_"Different how?"_

Kagome's mother sighed, smiling as she ruffled her daughter's bangs. "How to explain it...Hmm, you know your fairy stories, Kagome?"

When she nodded her mother continued, dragging her into her lap for easier access to her dark hair. Playing with her shoulder-length locks always seemed to bring her mother comfort, and it felt relaxing for Kagome, so she rarely protested.

"In those stories, the princess always waits for her prince to find her. When he does, they live happily ever after, right?" Again she nodded, smiling because this was an area she knew. "Well, your father is my prince. And every time he goes away, it's like our story is starting over again, because I'm always waiting for him to come back to me."

~_**Say you will come back...**_~

Tsukau's words echoed in her mind, and Kagome dropped onto her bed, understanding slowly coming to her.

'_Midoriko-sama is like the prince, and Tsukau-sama is like the princess,_' she reasoned in her mind, working through what she knew step by step. She wasn't bothered by the fact that it was the miko who played the role of the prince, as she herself didn't like having to be the princess just because she was a girl. Besides, the princess was the one who waited on the prince to come back, and Tsukau was the one who seemed to be waiting for the reserved woman.

'_Except in Midoriko's case, she said she can't come back. But..._'

"She looked like she _wanted_ to."

Sighing, Kagome fell back on her pillow, her heart reaching out to the woman who had so readily offered to help her. She could understand how the miko felt, as all she wanted to do was go back home. But she couldn't, and if she could tell her family where she was, she knew she could never promise them she would come back unless she knew she could.

Midoriko's sad, brown eyes once more crossed her mind, and Kagome wished there was a way to make her feel better. Turning to look out her window at the moon, she wondered quietly to herself, "I wonder if that's how I look?"

Sleep soon brought her melancholy thoughts to a halt, and Kagome spent the rest of the night dreaming about bad-tempered princesses, princes who never came back and bottomless wells that lead to nowhere...

~O~

Izayoi glared at the tall girl sitting across from her at breakfast. Kagome ignored the angry gaze, studiously picking at her meal and hoping that the obviously upset princess didn't bring up what had happened last night. Luckily, or not, it seemed the spoiled girl had no intentions of revealing Kagome's prank to anyone. However, as the seconds ticked by with Kuenai's nose buried in scrolls, oblivious to the tension between the two girls, the young girl from the future couldn't help but feel nervous and uncomfortable.

When the meal ended and Kagome went to leave, Izayoi stepped in front of her before she could retreat to the safety of her bedroom. The shorter girl's expression was completely blank, but there was something dangerous about the princess that had her on guard. Kagome knew that the girl in front of her was likely to hold on to grudges, mostly because she was the **exact** same way. As she waited for Izayoi to speak, she couldn't help the feeling of dread racing through her with each unsteady thump of her heart.

"Come with me, Higurashi..." she paused, her mouth twisting into a sour frown when she muttered the last word. "..._please_."

With the addition of that little word, her demand had become a request, and Kagome searched her mind for a polite way to refuse her. After a moment of fumbling through a set of weak excuse, the young girl could find no valid reason to deny the princess's request, and so she braced herself before nodding.

"Okay," she responded, proud that her voice only squeaked a little in her nervousness.

Turning briskly, Izayoi moved quickly down the hall, leaving her trotting to catch up with the shorter girl. Nothing was said as she was led down one hallway after another, becoming lost in the maze of the shiro easily. She was also having difficulty keeping up with her silent guide, and was quickly becoming suspicious of their destination.

"Where are we going?" she called, curiosity and worry gnawing at her.

"You'll see when we get there, now keep up!" Scowling at the rude response, Kagome decided that she'd simply deal with whatever horror awaited her when they arrived. In the meantime, she lengthened her stride to keep pace with the princess who seemed to have sped up.

'_No one in that many kimono should be allowed to be that fast,_' she grumbled to herself, feeling a stitch beginning to form in her side. Pressing a hand to her ribs, the young girl determined that when she got home she'd spend less time reading and more time playing outside. '_I didn't think I was this out of shape._'

The different turns and twists became a blur at some point, and Kagome began falling behind the shorter girl despite her efforts to keep up. When Izayoi disappeared around yet another corner, Kagome contemplated stopping where she was to see if the snobbish girl would notice that she had stopped following. Glancing at the walls around herself, she decided against it after she realized she didn't recognize any of the paintings in this part of the shiro. Pushing her tired legs to go faster, she turned to the corner and promptly tripped over a cleverly placed rope.

"Ahhh!" she screamed, arms flailing at she tried in vain to keep her balance. Gravity soon won however, and Kagome closed her eyes as she fell face-first with a sickening plop...

...into a large puddle of tar.

"Perhaps _that_ will teach you to do as your betters tell you."

Izayoi's smug declaration filled Kagome with rage. Pushing to her feet carefully, her first attempt to lunge at the spoiled brat was foiled by the thick, sticky liquid congealed at her feet, and her backside was soon as coated as her front. Groaning from the impact of a second fall, Kagome sat up slowly, ears ringing with the princess's mocking laughter.

'_Why you bratty, little..._'

Eyes narrowed, the tarred girl scooped up as much of the liquid she could, and with perfect aim, hurled the mess straight at Izayoi's face. The other girl was just wiping tears from her eyes when she looked up to see the missile. With no time to react, the tar slammed into her face, the wet sound mingling with her outraged cry music to Kagome's ears.

Smirking at the other girl's attempts to wipe the nasty substance out of her eyes, the coated girl carefully sludged her way to the opposite side of the puddle from her enemy. Gaining her feet once more, she took a moment to swipe some of the fluid from her own face before glaring across the puddle at the princess, who was seething on the other side, her pretty kimono ruined by large splotches of brown-black drippings.

Both were breathing heavily into the tense silence, neither willing to back down first from their staring match. Wanting to put the other girl in her place, Kagome tilted her chin up as she'd seen the other girl doing, and with a noisy sniff Izayoi returned the gesture. With a flourish of her many layers, the short girl turned and left, and Kagome followed suit, hoping against hope she could find her way back to her rooms without having to ask for help today. A silent declaration had been made between the two girls, and she didn't want anyone to see the evidence of their first battle and report it back to Kuenai-sama.

No, Kagome handled her own fights, and as she squelched back into familiar territory, a dark smile crossed her face as she mentally prepared for the days to come.

Because now, this was _**war**_.


	6. Chapter 6

**Before There Were Fairy Tales...**

by Faehime

**Chapter Six:**_There Can Only Be One_

The late afternoon sun cast long, violet shadows across the shiro grounds, a beautiful contrast to the naturally warm palate of the landscape. The breeze was cooling with the kiss of autumn, whisping through the warm shafts of light still offering a memory of warmth from the passing season. Kuenai hugged her friend tightly, already missing the reserved woman whose duties kept her visits far and few.

"Take care of yourself, Riri-chan." Smokey eyes filled with mischief crinkled up at the miko. "And don't let my pest of a brother keep you from coming to visit again soon!"

Midoriko smiled down at her, her gaze enigmatic as always. "As my Lady bids, so shall I obey."

They each laughed lightly, both trying to ignore the sensation of foreboding they'd both had since their conversation the day before. While discussing what purpose Higurashi might have in the past, her friend had admitted that around the time the girl had appeared in their time her soul had felt as though it was being pulled towards the child.

Concerned by this information, Kuenai had wasted no time locking herself in her personal library, searching through scroll after scroll for anything that might shed some light the events happening. The few tidbits she'd so managed to come across had all led to dead ends except for one, and the Lady of Setsuna couldn't help but hope it would also turn out to be a false lead. Otherwise, the immediate future did not look very promising for her dear friend.

"I will take my leave of you, then," Midoriko stated, her cool, husky voice pulling Kuenai from her cares. Smiling, she was about to wish her a safe journey when what sounded like a minor explosion rent the air. Neither woman had time to be concerned however, as it was followed shortly by a shrill, indignant cry of fury. Recognizing her daughter's dulcet tones, she couldn't help but shoot Midoriko a devilish grin.

"It would seem my daughter and Higurashi-chan are having a good time getting to know each other, eh Riri-chan?" Tucking her hands into the ink-stained sleeves of her kimono, she gave the smoke rising from a distant part of the shiro an appraising glance.

"Perhaps we should make a little wager? My daughter versus your little time-traveler? But what should the terms be...?"

"It matters not, Kuenai-sama," Midoriko stated confidently, a challenging glint to her eyes. Turning to leave, she didn't spare her friend another glance as she declared loftily, "History is bound to repeat itself, and the outcome will be the same wit them as it was with us. From what I remember, you'll want to be ready to deal with a very perturbed princess."

As Kuenai's face twisted in irritation, she was graced with one last parting jab that had her rethinking how soon she'd like to see her so-called 'friend' again.

"Oh, and you might want to check on that smoke- it appears to be coming from the direction of your library..."

Paling, the Lady of Setsuna quickly rushed off to save her precious scrolls and documents, internally vowing to make Midoriko eat those smug words. Stumbling occasionally over her oversized kimono, the frazzled woman silently apologized to her newest guest in advance. It wasn't that she wanted Higurashi-chan to lose this battle of wills. Truth be told, her daughter needed to be put in her place, and if this child was anything like Midoriko, Izayoi could do worse than to have a friend like her.

'_But I simply refuse to be bested by Riri-chan again, and if that means stacking the odds against her, then that's what I'll do!_'

Tabi skidding as she turned a corner, Kuenai barreled towards the doors of her private sanctuary in a wave of stained cloth and worried squealing. Despite her new-found resolution, if either of the children did anything to put her library in harms way, she'd put an end to the nonsense herself by whatever means necessary.

~O~

_Several hours earlier..._

After taking a quick bath to rid herself of the tar that had begun drying to her, Kagome set out to enact her revenge. Coming from a time in which pranks were made into hit TV shows and movies, she knew that with the right supplies she could easily knock a certain royal down a few pegs.

'_First, to start small and simple,_' she thought to herself, creeping to the rooms she'd discovered belonged to Izayoi. She was good at sweet talking adults, having spent a great deal of time practicing on her own parents and teachers, and so it hadn't taken the young girl too long to discover the whereabouts of her newest arch-enemy by talking to the servants.

Of course, they hadn't suspected anything from the ten-year old, and had readily informed her that the princess was currently in the gardens having a servant dig a hole for some unknown reason. Apparently, the odd demand was nothing new, so none of the shiro's staff thought anything of the princess's strange believing her luck, Kagome had made a quick stop by the kitchens before slipping off towards the family's private wing.

'_Thanks to this map, I should be able to get around the shiro a lot easier now!_'

One of the maids had been more than helpful be doing a quick-sketch of the shiro's layout, going so far as to highlight hidden routes that would get her to her destination faster. Now, as she slunk into Izayoi's darkened rooms, Kagome couldn't help but feel grateful, and promised she'd find some way to reward the servant at a later time.

'_But now, it's time to teach that brat a lesson!_'

Brandishing her weapon of choice, the young girl smirked evilly at the putrid smell coming off the fish in her hands. Quickly closing the door after checking to make sure no one was coming, the ebony-haired prankster set about finding hiding places for the scaly creatures. She did her best to make sure they were all in places where they could not be easily found, but at the same time would have the most potency for grossing the princess out.

During her search for hiding spots, she came across several trunks of kimono stored in a side room. A couple contained winter clothes that would soon need to be aired out as the weather became cooler, but the rest were filled with kimono that Izayoi had apparently outgrown. As she rifled through the expensive silks, a plan formed in Kagome's mind that had the young prnakster laughing victoriously.

'_I'll bet she won't even notice the difference until she puts them on,_' she thought to herself as she set about dragging one of the trunks into the main room. She quickly traded the kimono from the storage box into the trunk at the foot of the princess's bed. As she secured the trunk lid back, the young girl remembered what Midoriko had said about Kuenai cutting holes into her own clothes.

To be safe, she decided she would take the swapped clothes to her room as a decoy, just in case Izayoi tried to do the same thing. Mission accomplished, Kagome peeked her head out to check for witnesses, and finding it all clear hurried off to her room to stash the trunk of kimonos in plain sight.

'_Now, I just need to give her a reason to change her clothes!_'

~O~

Kagome tucked the map carefully under her sash again as she peered around from behind one of the statues in the back garden. Izayoi was barking orders at a servant, who was busy covering a rather large hole with a thin framed sheet of rice paper. After the piece was in place, a square of silk was arranged over the trap, followed by a coating of sand.

The young girl grinned as she watched the servant carefully redraw the lines over the trap so that it blended in with the surrounding sand. Kagome paid close attention to the directions of the lines so that she could make sure to avoid that area. The princess nodded her approval when the area was finished, eyes narrowing as she checked to make sure that the trap was indeed undetectable.

"It will do. Now, go get Higurashi and tell her that she is needed in the gardens right now," she ordered, not sparing the woman a glance as she walked off towards the shiro. Kagome waited until the servant had disappeared before she chanced moving from her spot. Carefully, she moved through the gardens until she was on the opposite side of the pit from Izayoi.

"Let the games begin," she whispered to herself, a feral grin plastered across her face.

There was no way she would allow herself to be caught by a trap her enemy didn't even have the decency to do herself. She waited patiently for Izayoi to turn her back before stepping into view, moving quickly so that she stood only a few feet from the edge of the pit. She needed to catch the shorter girl by surprise and then distract her from thinking about the trap that lay between them. It was going to take perfect timing and wording if she was to make the scheme backfire on the pampered brat.

"You know," she started, working to keep her face straight when Izayoi whipped around, nearly tripping over her skirts. "It's not going to work. Whatever you're planning, that is."

The princess narrowed her eyes slightly, but gave no other outward sign of her displeasure. Her gaze never even flickered to the ground as she snapped, "I don't know what you're talking about."

Summoning up the best poker face she had, Kagome grinned internally at the expected denial. Folding her hands into her sleeves, the young girl made a great show of sighing loudly while shaking her head.

"Please. I already **know** what you're trying to do," she paused, allowing enough time for Izayoi to feel the panic of being caught run through her before explaining, "Did you think I wouldn't notice? I saw you talking to that servant!"

By this point Izayoi's expression was slightly pinched, but before she could open her mouth Kagome drove in for the kill.

"I bet you told them not to clean my rooms for the rest of my stay, didn't you? You wanted me to have to do all the work myself I bet! Well, it's not going to work!"

Mouth hanging open, the princess recovered her composure quickly, a smug grin firmly in place as she tilted her nose into the air. "I guess I have been found out! You are far too smart for me Higurashi."

Kagome couldn't help but be offended that the brat across from her really believed she was that simple. Pursing her lips, she brushed it aside in favor of being grateful that the dense girl had bought into false accusation. Scowling as fiercely as she knew how, the Kagome started reeling in her prey.

"Of course I am! And to prove it, I'm going to tell Kuenai-sama how mean you are being to me!" Turning, she started running back towards the shiro, listening behind her for the sounds of pursuit she knew would be coming.

She was not disappointed.

"Wai—_**AHHHH**_!"

There was a muffled tearing sound, followed quickly by a short thud as Izayoi hit the bottom of the pit, sand covering her silk-clad form. Slowly Kagome returned to the scene of the crime, hands behind her back as she whistled softly. Coughing, legs suspended in the air from her position on her back, Izayoi glared up at the sound, angry brown eyes instantly locking on her intended victim.

"_You-_"

"Wow, I'm impressed, Izayoi-sama," she interrupted, studying the depth of the hole with wide eyes. Looking back at the princess, she didn't attempt to repress the evil smile that split her face.

"I didn't know you were heavy enough to make the ground cave-in!"

Seeing the short girl's face turning a dangerous shade of red, Kagome laughed before turning to stroll back into the shiro. Outraged cries followed her all the way to the building and as she walked past a couple of servants hurrying towards the furious calls for help, she gave herself a mental pat on the back.

"Kagome-1, Spoiled Brat-0!"

~O~

After tricking Izayoi into falling into her own trap, Kagome had quickly raced off to execute the next part of her grand scheming. Coated from head to toe in sand, the young princess was inevitably headed for the bath house, which meant another opportunity to teach the pampered lady the error of her ways.

Earlier, when she had returned to her room, Kagome had thought of a prank she could pull when they had their baths later that night, but it looked like she'd be able to make use of it sooner now. Pulling the doors open, she easily located the coil of rope she'd left under her pillows and slung it across her shoulders. She was certain that Izayoi wouldn't be expecting another attack just yet, which meant it would be easy to fool her into thinking the leather wrapped coil hanging on her arm was some sort of dangerous beastie.

Pulling her map back out, she searched for the quickest route to the springs before heading off, determination lengthening her stride. As she passed through the halls of the shiro, Kagome did her best to avoid being seen by anyone. When she came to any forks, she was careful to check for servants before scurrying past, and every now and then she ducked behind a statue or into a darkened room while she waited for whoever it was coming her way to pass.

While it made the trip somewhat longer than it should have been, the young girl was thankful for her caution when she heard the furious shrieks headed directly at her. Hiding swiftly behind a nearby tapestry, she waited with bated breath for the person to pass by and allow her on her way. Imagine her surprise when, instead of continuing past, the individual ranting stopped directly in front of her.

Even better, it was the princess in question, and she wasn't alone. Doing her best not to move, Kagome tried to pay attention to the one-sided conversation while keeping up a running internal dialogue.

'_Please don't see me, please don't see me, please don't see me,'_ she chanted, knowing that the smallest movement or sound could blow her cover. Not only would this foil her next prank, but it would also deprive her of any information should would gain as the princess ordered yet another servant to help her with her ill-conceived plans.

"I don't _care_ if you have to pull someone else from their duties, I want her rooms rigged **before** lunch is over! And make sure the kitchen staff has the tea ready on time," she snarled at the nameless servant, her obvious anger making even Kagome feel a shudder trickle down her spine. The sound of feet stomping past her once more brought a measure of relief, but she continued to listen closely for as long as she could hear the other girl's voice.

"I won't be made a fool of by that commoner even once more! And don't forget to send someone to my rooms to air them out! I don't know _where_ that smell is coming from, but..."

Whatever else she said was lost once she turned the corner, and Kagome stepped carefully from behind the tapestry, eying the coast warily. When she heard no sounds of a return she continued on her way, moving down to a separate entrance to the springs so as to avoid running into the servant still being ordered by her spoiled mistress.

'_So I guess that means the fish are working like a charm,_' she thought to herself, finally arriving at the door to the springs. She'd actually gotten that idea from her dad, who had often spoke about the pranks he and his friends used to pull on each other in college. Silently thanking her father for the help, she smiled at the thought that even in memory, he was taking her side. As she slipped inside through a barely-there crack in the sliding door, the young girl made a mental note to not drink or eat anything the princess tried to give her as she recalled all that she had just learned.

'_I'll need to check my room for booby-traps too._'

Keeping low to the ground, Kagome crept towards the natural rock partition that blocked her view of the steaming pool in which Izayoi was currently relaxing. Easing up, the young girl peered over the edge and quickly located her target. The bathing girl was reclining with her back against the partition, directly under where Kagome was kneeling. Even though no one else was around, the princess was still grumbling to herself, too low for the stealthy girl to make out more than a few words here and there.

'_Does she _ever_ shut up?_' she wondered as she quietly uncoiled the length of leather-wrapped rope.

Moving slowly, she again repositioned until she could slip the prop into the water without the princess hearing or seeing her. She kept hold of a woven bit of thread that would allow her to manipulate the 'creature' from above, and, double checking to make certain Izayoi hadn't opened her eyes yet, she waited for the perfect moment to arrive.

The steam of the room was making her sweat, her clammy skin sticking uncomfortably to her yukata while she remained crouched behind the rock wall. The minutes ticked by, and Kagome cursed the princess for taking so long when her legs began to knot up from her cramped position. Stubbornly, Kagome ignored her discomfort, and her patience soon paid off.

The sound of sloshing water alerted her to Izayoi's movements, and taking a quick peek she watched as the girl began to lather the long mass of black hair floating around her. Excitement filled the young girl, and her fingers twitched with anticipation as she waited for the princess to finish washing. The moment the girl ducked underneath the water to rinse out the soapy tresses, Kagome swung into action.

Tugging on the strings, she drew the now slippery rope through the water to where Izayoi was just breaking the surface. Knowing it was now or never, she jerked the rope, swinging it through the water so that the tail-end twirled in a wide arc. As the smooth length barely brushed against the princess's exposed skin beneath the surface of the water, she stiffened, before looking down to see what had touched her.

"_S-S-S...__**SNAKE!**_"

The horrified scream echoed off the walls, making Kagome's ears ache at the sour-sweet tone. It took all of her willpower to keep from dying with laughter as Izayoi jumped from the springs in terror, tearing past her bathing yukata and straight out the doors, her cries of "_There's a snake in the springs!_" preceding her.

Knowing she needed to leave before she was caught, the young girl retrieved the sopping rope and hastily made her retreat, stamping the other girl's fearful screams to her memory as she added another tick to her mental scoreboard.

'_And Round Two goes to Higurashi, the Time-traveling Prank Master!_'


	7. Chapter 7

**Before There Were Fairy Tales...**

by Faehime

**Chapter Seven:**_Ahead of Her Time_

By the time lunch arrived, Kagome was beginning to feel the strain. Calling on every ounce of acting ability she possessed, she spent the meal repressing the laughter trying to spill from her throat at the suspicious looks Izayoi was giving her.

After tearing through the shiro in nothing but her 'birthday suit', as her father would have said, the princess had arrived at to the afternoon meal in kimono that were strangely tight on her. From what Kagome could tell, it appeared that the girl had even forgone a few layers of her ensemble, probably owing to the fact that nothing she had tried on seemed to be fitting.

When the princess had arrived at the table, Kagome had watched with no small amount of delight as Izayoi had tried to sit down before falling gracelessly onto her bottom. A soft giggle had nearly escaped when she saw the princess wobbling on the floor in an attempt to right herself, the image she presented reminding the girl from the future of a turtle she'd once found laying on its back. Seeing Izayoi's mom turning to look at her, she had quickly schooled her features from laughter-at-another's-expense into innocent concern. However, she was nearly positive that Kuenai could see through her act, and as a result was trying to draw as little attention to herself as possible.

Only she, Kuenai, Izayoi and Tsukau had gathered for lunch, Midoriko begging off in favor of packing for her journey. Kagome was slightly saddened at the reminder that the woman would be leaving later that day. The miko had been the first person she had met after falling through time, and even though only a few days had passed, the young girl had grown attached to the reserved woman. She understood why the miko had to leave however, and only hoped that perhaps she would get to see her again before she returned to her home in the future.

'_Although, I guess I should feel luck that Midoriko-sama isn't having lunch with us. She probably would have called me out by now, just like last night._'

She shuddered at the memory of being caught, and remembering the other person who had been there, she glanced over to see Tsukau looking straight at her. Blinking, she held his gaze with her surprised eyes, and after a moment he flicked his attention to his still-struggling niece before focusing back on her. He then very deliberately winked at her as he addressed his sister.

"Well, it looks like Izayoi has, _ahem_, hit another growth spurt, doesn't it, Kuenai?"

His voice was gently teasing, and he turned to look at the now blushing girl, smiling when she harrumphed at him with a scowl pinching her features. Meanwhile, the Lady of Setsuna absently nodded, eyes still firmly locked on Kagome, making her want to squirm with embarrassment. Something was bothering the formerly perky woman, and the longer she stared, the more the young girl at the focus of her attentions began to doubt it had anything to do with the private war between her and the uncomfortable princess.

Abruptly, Kuenai stood, instructing that everyone continue their meals before excusing herself to go check on Midoriko. Moments after she disappeared, Tsukau also excused himself to attend to his duties. As he stepped from the room he called back for them to "play nice," before disappearing with a chuckle.

The large room became much smaller with his absence, and Kagome's copper eyes slowly landed on Izayoi when she suddenly realized that exactly how alone they were in that moment. Not even a servant was in sight, and despite the fact that she had so far managed to outwit the princess currently glaring daggers at her, the young girl couldn't help but feel slightly nervous about the lack of witnesses in the area.

'_I'll be okay,_' she reassured herself, eyes never leaving the furious glare being leveled at her. '_Guessing by how form fitting that kimono looks around her legs, I should be able to make the door before she can even stand up._'

Feeling a bit better, she reached once more for her chopsticks, unwilling to be intimidated by the pudgy princess. Spearing a piece of beef with her utensils, she quickly devoured the bite with relish, humming appreciatively at the savory flavor. Despite the tension in the room, Kagome was greatly enjoying the food that had been provided for the late lunch. Spiced beef with tender stems of steamed leeks were accompanied by onigiri with umeboshi and a sweet-egg roll wrapped in a cabbage leaf.

Reaching for another delicious rice ball, she was stopped when Izayoi snatched up the last, sticky morsel, her hand frozen in place over where it had rested only moments before. Grasping the salted plum with her teeth, the princess popped it into her mouth, chewing the treat with deliberate slowness. When Izayoi finally spoke, her frigid voice dropped the temperature of the room by several degrees.

"I know it was you, Higurashi. I don't know **how** you did it, but I know that you are the reason none of my clothes are fitting," she accused waspishly, narrowed orbs never leaving Kagome's face. Taking large bites of the onigiri still nestled in her hand, she quickly devoured it, licking delicately at the lingering pieces of rice clinging to her fingers.

"As such, I've returned the favor, and made some small modifications to your clothes as we-"

"Let me guess," Kagome interrupted, folding her napkin neatly across her plate. "You cut a hole out of everything?"

Izayoi's gasp of displeasure told the young girl she'd hit the nail on the head, and she smiled wickedly at the uncertain puckering of her opponent's brows. Slamming her hands on the table, the princess leaned across the distance dividing them, temper getting the better of her.

"How did you know that?" she demanded, face flushing as Kagome gave a dismissive shrug.

"Well, that's the entirely _wrong_ question to ask at a time like this," the young girl teased, folding her hands in front of her with an ease she was sure would anger Izayoi even further.

Inside she was crowing with laughter, amazed that her precautions had paid off. With each new prank that back-fired on the furious royal seated across from her, Kagome forgot more and more the reasons why they were even trying to trick each other. Each new reaction to disaster simply meant more entertainment for the young girl from the future, and as a result of the fun she was having, Kagome was close to forgetting that she was supposed to be angry over the stunt from this morning on top of yesterday's orders.

Teeth creaking as she ground them together, Izayoi slowly asked, "And **what**, pray tell, would be the correct question, Higurashi?"

Wiping at the corners of her mouth with a napkin, Kagome delayed answering, and instead smoothed the front of her yukata as she stood. Leveling a wicked grin at her opponent, she added another tick to her inner scoreboard when she finally responded.

"You **should** be asking i/iwhere I hid all of your clothes that **fit**."

Blinking in confusion, the princess sat back, turning her words over in her mind. It took a few seconds for understanding to come, and by the time the implications sank in Kagome was already out the door and half-way down the hall. Hearing an outraged squeal, the young girl held up three fingers with relish.

"And that, ladies and gentlemen, is round three."

"Oh? Round three of_ what_, Higurashi-chan?"

Tsukau's amused voice once again caught her off guard, and the young girl gave out a frightened squeak. Turning the corner, she found the tall man leaning casually against the wall, almost as if he had been waiting for her. Feeling grouchy at being caught gloating, she frowned up at him when he chuckled at her reaction.

"It's not nice to listen in on other people's conversations," she reminded him, her tone scolding.

"And since when does talking to one's self count as conversation, hm?" She flushed, for he did have a point. Recovering quickly, she did her best impression of Izayoi by shoving her nose in the air and stomping around him. She didn't have time to stand around being mad fun of by the large man while there were so many pranks to plan.

"Now wait, little one," a large hand on her head slowed her down, and she craned her neck to look up at him once more, her back arching a bit in the attempt. "You still haven't answered my question."

'_Question? When did he... uh-oh._'

When his query came back to her, Kagome's fingers twitched in apprehension. While it was all well and good to be in a prank war with the princess, she had no clue how said princess's uncle would react to some of the tricks she'd managed to pull on the bratty girl. Even if some of them **had** been her own fault. Aside from that, if Tsukau became involved, or told Kuenai about their little disagreement, there was a good chance one or both of them would put a stop to it before a winner could be declared.

'_Or at least before I can make the snob admit that she's not better than me!_'

Giving Tsukau a measuring glance, she came to her decision. She couldn't risk letting one of the grown-ups stepping in and taking her victory from her. Besides, this was a private matter between the two of them, and Kagome had been raised to fight her own battles. Satisfied with her choice, the young girl adopted her best innocent-lil-me look and shrugged her shoulders in response.

"Oh, that was nothing! Just... just something I say after a really good meal!" She batted her eyes when the large man only raised a dark brow at her blatant lie.

"Hm." He rolled his eyes before turning, a knowing grin firmly in place. "Strange, and here I thought it had something to do with the chirping coming from your rooms..."

Kagome's smile froze to her face, voice pitching dangerously high as she managed a weak, "What?"

Ashy orbs flicked back to her pale face with silent mirth. "Why, it would appear that a few dozen crickets managed to get trapped in your room, Higurashi-chan. But as the name of the game seems to be silence, you didn't hear a word from _me_."

And with a wink he was gone, off without another word as though he hadn't a care about what they were doing. Kagome could only stare after him, jaw hanging open with disbelief. Tsukau had basically just admitted that he knew what was going on, and with the information he had provided, it seemed he wasn't going to do anything about it either.

Relief swept through her when it became clear that she wasn't going to face any trouble when it came to Izayoi's uncle. Her _mother_ on the other hand...

'_Well, like he just said, the name of the game _is_ silence_,' she thought to herself, turning to trot off for her rooms. Something told her that there was more than just annoying bugs in store for her, and Kagome narrowed her eyes with determination. High pitched chirps greeted her long before she'd even made it to her door, and she had no choice but to give the princess a tick on her mental list. It would take her days to find and remove all the crickets, providing they didn't die first.

Shuddering at the idea of small, crunchy corpses turning up in her bed or under her feet, Kagome reached to slide her door open before pausing. She didn't know **why** she was hesitating, but a gut feeling was screaming at her to not open the door under any circumstances. Not one to ignore her instincts, the young girl took a few steps away, eyes slowly covering every inch of the wood and paper barrier.

Right as she was about to give up finding anything suspicious about the door, her eyes lit on a thin, barely noticeable line. Following its path, a wicked grin split her lips. Studying the rig, Kagome decided it was about time for her to go on the offensive. She was ready to end this little war, and she knew just how to go about it. Plan firmly in mind, Kagome set off for the kitchens once more, determined to teach Izayoi the lesson of her very young life.

~O~

Midoriko was sharpeniing her sword on the balcony when she heard a gentle knock at her door. Kuenai had already come and gone, never bothering with the formalities of announcing her arrival anyway, and so the miko immediately crossed her off the list of possible visitors. Knowing there were few others who would come to her rooms to see her, she remained focused on her blade as she called for the individual to enter.

"How are you today, Midoriko-sama?"

At the formality, she looked up, unsurprised to see the imposing figure just inside her doorway. Smiling softly, she felt her heart clench in pain at the distance he was trying to put between them. His eyes were a bit cooler than normal, and Midoriko knew that she had done that to him. They had once been very close, confidants in responsibility and dear friends.

"Tsukau, you know you don't need to be so formal," she playfully admonished, wanting to erase the distance between them, both physical and otherwise. At one point she had actually considered settling down and trying to give him what he wanted. Things had changed though, and she regretted the pain it caused the overly gentle man.

'_If only he knew..._' she whispered to herself, wishing there was a way to change things so that they could be as close as they had once been. She was drawn out of her thoughts by his rumbling sigh, and she watched as his shoulders slumped. The reserved woman felt a whisper of apprehension come over her when he approached her slowly. It flew away on the wings of relief the moment he slouched onto the ground next to her, leaning his head back against her thigh so that he was looking up into her surprised brown orbs.

It was a familiar position, and it set her at ease that perhaps their relationship wasn't beyond repair. Following tradition, she set her sword carefully aside along with the whet stone shed been using before reaching down to pull his long braid into her lap. Diligently, her fingers worked the tie of the end and set about unweaving the length of his hair, taking care to not cause any snags in the soft brown strands.

"I'm sorry, Ts-" her apology was cut off by one of his large hands enveloping her face. Pursing her lips against the palm covering her mouth, she shot him a narrow-eyed glare of reproach. His response was a soft chuckle, one that always warmed her to the tips of her lashes. Rolling her eyes, she shook his hand off her face with a soft jerk of her head.

"Tsukau-"

"Don't." His voice was gentle, but firm. "There is no need to apologize. I know why you can not stay, and I accepted it long ago, Midoriko."

He sighed, one of his breathtakingly charming smiles stretching his face as he looked at her apologetically. "I should be the one to apologize. Last night should have never happened, and I'm sorry I put you in that position yet again, my friend."

Feeling her heart about to betray her, Midoriko cleared her throat roughly, her eyes retreating from his in favor of the work her hands were performing. His hair was a mass of soft waves, rippling across her lap and down her legs like wrinkles on the surface of a pond. _Everything_ about the giant man was gentle, from his voice to his heart, and all she wanted to do was protect him from everything that could hurt him... even herself.

"Does it make you uncomfortable, knowing that I love you?" A dry laugh escaped her at his question, and she shot him a hopeless grin.

"Ever honest and to the point, aren't you my friend?" Trailing her fingers down his cheeks with a tenderness she only gave to him, she whispered, "It makes me no more uncomfortable than it does you, knowing that I can't risk returning your love."

There was acceptance in his eyes at her words, and Midoriko felt the burden of her heart lighten considerably. He was ever giving her whatever she needed, even if it was at his own expense, and she only hoped that one day he'd be able to find someone who could give him everything he deserved in return. Her heart ached at the idea of him loving someone else, of being happy with someone else, but she had acknowledge long ago that that would be his future. Moisture burned against her lids, but she kept the smile on her face for him.

'_Always for him._'

"Oh, indeed, my discomfort in your presence knows no bounds! Even so, I will bear it like a man, and remain in this uncomfortable situation like the fool I am," Tsukau winked up at her, studiously ignoring the way her eyes had gone suspiciously red rimmed. Grateful for his theatrical humor dissipating the tense atmosphere, she leaned down, placing a chaste kiss to his cheek.

A large hand cradled the back of her neck when she began to pull away, holding her face inches from his own. Neither one of them spoke any words, but she could see the question in his eyes. Lashes fluttering down, Midoriko ignored the warm wetness dampening her cheeks as she acquiesced to his silent plea.

'_If nothing else, we can have this..._ I_ can have this moment, with you._'

With a tenderness she'd never give another soul as long as she lived, Midoriko kissed him. It was a soft brush of lips, warm flesh pressing fleetingly to warm flesh, but it shook her to her soul. That barest of connections stripped away her doubts and fears, her responsibilities and titles, leaving her as nothing more than a woman consumed by the flames of desire.

Breaths mingling in shallow pants, she slanted her mouth greedily against his, nipping and molding his pliant lips with every ounce of passion she possessed. Welcoming his own passionate response, the normally stern woman gave in to the sinful longing she had harbored for years as she attempted to pour the love she couldn't give him into her kisses, knowing it was all she could offer this man who deserved so much more.

As the moment ended, the kisses slowing into soft pecks of gratitude and farewell, Midoriko failed to notice that the streaks of salt on Tsukau's face were not from her tears alone.


	8. Chapter 8

**Before There Were Fairy Tales...**

by Faehime

**Chapter Eight:**_Tea Timed Bomb_

Kagome was ready and waiting when the servant came to call her to tea. In a stroke of luck, the Lady of Setsuna was busy seeing Midoriko off and Tsukau, it seemed, wasn't overly fond of tea in the first place, meaning she'd be all alone with Izayoi. An evil smirk crossed her face as the young girl went over her plans in her mind once more. Everything was in place, now all that was left was to lure the princess into her web.

'_Piece of cake,_' she snickered to herself, resisting the urge to rub her hands together and laugh maniacally like a cartoon villain. Tucking her hands into her sleeves to remove the temptation, Kagome walked into the sitting room where Izayoi was already waiting, two cups of tea already poured and set in place. Seating herself opposite the other girl, she couldn't help but notice the smug smile the princess was making no effort to hide.

'_She's got something up her sleeve too... better go straight for the kill._'

"I want to call a truce," Kagome declared, back ramrod straight as she looked directly into Izayoi's startled eyes. Having been mid-sip, the princess choked, tea dribbling down her chin as she sputtered to catch her breath. Wanting to keep her off-balance, she didn't give her time to gain her voice, instead saying, "This is all so silly, right? I mean, we're both ten- it's not like we're children anymore!"

Leaning forward abruptly, she pointed a finger at the floundering girl, whose face was painted with uncertainty. Giving her a serious look, she announced, "So let's just be honest. You don't like me, and I don't like you."

Folding her arms over her chest she nodded to herself, watching the princess from beneath lowered lids as she continued, "There's nothing that says we have to like each other, or even get along. So, no more pretending.

"I'll leave you alone, if you leave me alone. No more pranks, or tricks or anything. Neither of us tells the grown-ups about anything, and we let bygones be bygones."

Copper eyes were looking at her with suspicion, and Kagome waited patiently for the girl to agree with the solution. Her terms were straightforward, fair, and completely fictional, but her prey would realize that soon enough. The young girl doubted that the princess would truly agree to any sort of truce, but that didn't mean she wouldn't take the bait, and even a fake promise would be more than enough to use against the girl.

"I won't agree to anything until you apologize for what you did to me," Izayoi exclaimed after some thought, nose in its familiar position as the highest point on the girl's body. "After all, a commoner should be more respectful to a person of my station!"

The idea of apologizing to the brat, even if she didn't mean it, left a sour taste in her mouth. Reaching for her cup of tea, she noticed how the princess's eye immediately darted to the cup, lips twitching before she had a chance to hide the reaction. Pulling the cup to her, Kagome made no move to actually drink the liquid inside, and she watch as the princess's face wilted into an expression of frustration.

'_So you put something in my tea did you?_' she thought, thrilled with how much information Izayoi's emotions gave away. Seeing an opportunity to strike, the young girl came up with an offer she knew would seal the deal.

"Tell you what," she started, picking her cup up again and watching the liquid lap the edges as she swished it gently. She was aware of Izayoi eagerly watching her every move, and was hard pressed to not give herself away with laughter.

"I'll apologize to you if you can beat me at a game we play in my time!"

Only half paying attention as she continued to monitor the progress of the tea in Kagome's hand, the princess absently answered, "What game?"

Holding her cup up at eye level, the young girl announced readily, "A balancing game! You play it trying to balance a cup of liquid on the back of each of your hands. The person who can do it the longest, wins."

The princess was looking at her through narrowed eyes, lips pursed as she thought over the details of the game. The way Kagome had phrased the rules, there would appear to be little risk to the game, and she was hoping the young girl didn't notice the gaping hole in the setup of the contest. Minutes past, and she was about to give up and try a different tactic when Izayoi nodded her head in agreement.

"Alright, but when I win, you not only have to apologize, but I want you to be my personal servant from here on out. Agreed?"

'_My luck can't possibly get any better,_' she thought to herself as she smiled, nodding her head eagerly.

"Agreed! In fact, I'll even help you get set up first!"

Refilling the princess's cup, Kagome had her lay her hands palm down on the table, fingers together to create the best balancing surface. Then, she carefully balanced both her cup and the princess's cup on either of her hands, before moving back to survey her handiwork. Hands on her hips, Kagome was amazed at how easily she'd managed to trap the brat in front of her, having thought it would take a bit more effort than what it had.

Even better, Izayoi was wearing a smug expression, not even realizing her predicament as she asked, "Well, are you going to go fetch a servant and more cups so that you can get set up?"

Giving in to the urge at last, the young girl began cackling madly, head thrown back as the late afternoon sun streamed in through the windows. As moments passed and her laughter only got worse, Izayoi's expression twisted in anger.

"What are you laughing about? The longer you waste time the closer I am to winning!" She shouted, too arrogant to understand exactly what was going on. Taking deep breaths, Kagome managed to slow her laughter into more manageable giggles, sides spasming from the aftershocks of her victory. Pointing down at the princess, the young girl finally revealed her deceit.

"Winning?" she asked, unable to keep the gloating tone from her voice. "Can't you tell yet? This is one game you can't win at! Tell me, how do you plan to get the cups off your hands?"

Turning on her heel, Kagome saw the understanding finally arrive in Izayoi's eyes, followed quickly by rage. Knowing that she was about to push the girl over the edge, she called back in a singsong, "I'll be in my room looking at all of your kimono that you destroyed earlier! If I see any servants along the way, I'll make sure to tell them you asked not to be bothered for any reason!

"Have a good night sitting there, brat!" With that, she darted off down the corridors, moving swiftly to be in place on time. Despite the fact that Izayoi wouldn't be able to move without spilling tea all over herself, she was almost positive that the girl would be so angry she'd chase her down this time. In fact, she was planning on it.

The princess did not disappoint. She had barely made it to her hiding spot when she heard running footsteps pounding in her direction. Tucking herself securely behind the tall statue, Kagome felt her heart speed up in anticipation as the sounds of pursuit grew louder, and it was only moments before a short, colorful blur raced past her, pale face contorted with fury and kimono front dripping with tea.

Only at the last minute did logic seem to seep through to the enraged girl, but it was too late. Her head tilted as she looked up to see the rig she'd ordered put on the door untouched, telling her that Kagome had yet to go into the room. Moving to stop in front of the unopened door, her feet skidded and slipped in the grease Kagome had smeared across the wooden floor, unseen in the dim afternoon light that barely lit the hallway.

Flailing her arms to right herself, the princess grabbed onto the only thing near her in desperation- the door. Her momentum was too great, and as her fingers pulled the wood and paper frame open, a scream of outraged denial spilled from her throat right as an explosion rent the air, filling the hallway with thick, white smoke and knocking both girls flat on their backs.

Coughing as ash settled around them, Kagome looked over to where Izayoi was struggling to sit up, hands scrambling for purchase on the still slick floor. Grinning like a fool, the young girl stood up and waled over to the princess, leaning down and offering her hand. The shorter girl glared at the appendage before taking it with a huff of annoyance.

"I'm not saying thank you," she snarled as Kagome pulled her up, steadying her with a hand to her elbow.

"Didn't think you would," the young girl replied, taking in the muddy soot covering Izayoi's face and clothes. "I am dying to know what you put in my tea though."

The other girl blinked at her in surprise, obviously taken off guard by the fact that Kagome knew about her failed trick. Shrugging dismissively after a moment, she mumbled in defeat, "Wasabi powder."

She grimaced, glad that she'd not taken even a sip of her drink earlier. She honestly didn't care for anything that was too spicy, and could only imagine the agony she would have been in after drinking wasabi tea. Frowning, both girls looked around at the damage in the hallway and then back at each other. There was simply no way they were going to hide this one from the adults.

Taking the initiative, Kagome asked point blank, "So, what's our story?"

~O~

After seeing that her library was in order and unscathed Kuenai dashed off down the next hallway, following the sounds of raised voices to the source of the smoke and mayhem in her shiro. Turning the corner, the Lady of Setsuna was caught off-guard by the sight that greeted her.

Sitting against the wall across from the rooms she'd given Higurashi, sat two ash smudged children. Both sat in similar poses, arms crossed and heads turned away from each other, as though they were pretending the other didn't exist. Her daughter was closest to her, and there were streaks on her face that indicated she had cried very recently, but the scowl puckering her brows told Kuenai it wasn't anything to worry about.

As she moved forward to better surveyed the damage, Higurashi finally caught sight of her. Quickly moving to stand, she stammered a polite greeting followed by a clumsy bow. Hearing her name, Izayoi's head whipped about, wide eyes quickly landing on her with apprehension.

"Mother," she murmured, nodding her head but making no move to stand.

"Izayoi, would you care to explain to me what happened here?"

The lady didn't miss the look that quickly passed between the two girls, and the hesitation in the air was palpable. Still, she waited, curious as to what half-cooked excuse they'd managed to come up with. Knowing her daughter, there was little chance she could expect a truthful response. Judging by her daughter's bedraggled appearance compared to the relatively sparse layer of soot on the other girl, Kuenai was almost certain Izayoi was not the victor of whatever had occurred here. Still, it would be interesting to see if they worked together to get out of this mess.

"Well, you see..." the princess began, nervousness lacing her voice as she tried to look everywhere but at her mother. "I-"

"It was my fault, Kuenai-sama," Higurashi announced, taking everyone by surprise. Looking to her daughter, the small woman was amused to see the young girl's mouth gaping open, her stunned eyes boring into the other girl's head as though she'd be able to figure out what was going on. Obviously, this was not the plan to which they had previously agreed, and with that thought in mind she turned her attention back to Higurashi, curious to see what the strange child had up her sleeve.

"Do tell?"

Straightening her shoulders, the girl never even glanced in Izayoi's direction as she explained, "Well, I got lost trying to find my way back to my rooms after tea, and I came across a room full of swords and knives and other weapons!

"I was curious and started looking around... so when Izayoi-sama found me and offered to show me to my rooms, I forgot I had picked up some strange little containers." The young girl managed to blush here, and Kuenai was silently impressed with her acting abilities. There was simply no way possible she could have come across the armory in the way she had described, as it was in a separate building on the grounds, and locked at all times. The only ones with access were the guards and a few of the house staff, but she doubted the young girl knew any of that.

"When we got back here, I realized that I still had them, and asked if Izayoi wouldn't mind showing me the way back. I didn't want to get in trouble, but she was super nice and offered to take them for me!" Higurashi's face twisted in a frown of regret, although the effect was ruined by Izayoi scowling fiercely at her from where she stood, fists shaking in anger as the young girl continued to weave her well-rehearsed lie.

"Except when I went to hand them to her, I accidentally set one off, and... well, I'm really really sorry, Kuenai-sama!"

The Lady of Setsuna eyed the child before her with a look of consideration while on the inside she was cursing Midoriko quite colorfully. Because, whether she liked it or not, the woman had been completely and absolutely correct! There was simply no way Izayoi could dispute Higurashi's story with implicating herself, which meant that not only had her daughter been outmatched, but she was now also indebted to the precocious time-traveler. As such, there was nothing Kuenai could do to tip the scales, and in a way she was mildly put out that she wouldn't have a chance to get back at her long-time friend, even vicariously.

'_Although I must admit, Higurashi worked much faster than Riri-chan ever did! I managed to torment her for a _week_ before she managed to put me in my place._'

Resisting the urge to smile at the memories of her own lost battles, the tiny woman acknowledged that Higurashi had also tied her own hands. Short of calling her out on the blatant lie, and thereby forcing the entire situation into the air, she couldn't punish either girl for the damage that had been done to the shiro as a result of their little war.

"Well," she said, swallowing her approval before it seeped into her voice, "accidents do happen. You'll just have to sleep in another room until this one can be fixed."

Over the next half-hour she set about sending for a carpenter to fix the door and replace the screens lining the hallway, along with having servants air the area out using fans and herbs to cleanse the acrid smell from the area. The entire time, she pondered what sort of excitement she could expect to have during the time Higurashi would be staying in the shiro, and hoping that none of it involved her precious library.

~O~

Tsukau sat in his office, heart turning to ice in his chest as he read over the missive in his hands once more. He'd received it shortly after Midoriko had left, and been locked in his office ever since he'd seen the seal on the heavy parchment. Tucking the letter into his yukata, the large man made for his rooms, mind in a turmoil.

'_So, the time has finally arrived,_' he thought acerbically, a frown marring his normally kind face.

Slamming into his private rooms, he strode quickly to a short desk in the corner reserved for his personal letters and studies unrelated to his role as adviser. Kneeling behind it, he pressed his fingers against panel that looked more worn that the others around it. With a soft click, it depressed inwards, releasing the catch to a secret compartment.

Large, deft fingers stole into the small space, pulling from it several other scrolls that appeared very similar to the one tucked safely in his clothes. "Where did I... there!"

After shuffling through the missives, he found the one he was looking for, and soon he had it, along with the more recent message laid out side by side. Re-reading both, he nodded, eyes hardening with resolve.

'_So they'll be arriving in less than two months. I'll need to get everything arranged before I head to the Western Shiro. If all goes as planned..._'

A brief, fleeting memory of lips brushing against his own interrupted his thoughts, and Tsukau felt himself waver. Because if all went as planned, he would loose any hope of a future with Midoriko forever. Frowning, he forced himself to not think about it, to focus instead on the small chance that perhaps he could keep that eventuality from happening.

Because if things didn't go as planned, it wouldn't matter if Midoriko never forgave him his role in what was to come...

...because he would be **dead**.


	9. Chapter 9

**Before There Were Fairy Tales...**

by Faehime

**Chapter Nine:**_No Escaping Destiny_

"Oh come on! You're _still_ not talking to me?"

It had been over a week since the incident in the hallway, and Izayoi had been giving her the silent treatment the entire time. While she was happy that the princess hadn't ordered her around anymore, it somehow felt like a step in the wrong direction. Kagome hadn't thought the brat would be particularly grateful about not being ratted out to her mom, but part of her had hoped that perhaps she would be a tad more polite.

Instead, she had refused every one of Kagome's attempts at conversation, only glaring at her when she refused to give up and sometimes actually leaving the area. After seven days of being ignored, she was becoming frustrated with the stubborn princess.

"Look, would it kill you to talk to me?" She whined, sitting down on the table in front of Izayoi. Annoyed brown eyes glared up at her, and she felt a thrill of delight run through her when the girl opened her mouth to respond.

'_Yes! Tell me to get off the desk, to leave you alone, anything!_' Kagome thought to herself, waiting expectantly for the sound of the princess's voice.

Thus, she was enormously disappointed when all she received was a soft and curt, "No."

"No," she repeated blankly, confused by the answer. Frowning, she watched as the other girl once more stood and moved to leave the room. As she exited, Kagome chased after her, calling, "Well, if it won't kill you, then why haven't you spoken to me all week?"

Izayoi actually stopped, and she felt her hopes rising once more as the shorter girl turned to look at her over her shoulder. The princess's response once again tore them to shreds however.

"I have nothing to say."

With that, she left Kagome standing in the middle of the hallway, fuming over impossible friendships and wondering what she was going to do in the lonely days to come. After a while she returned to her bedroom, sadness over having no one to talk to draining the fight out of her.

The hours passed by slowly, and Kagome simply sat at her window, wrapped in a blanket as she stared out at the grounds, wishing she could be home with her family and friends. While it was true she didn't have very many at the moment, there were three girls who hadn't seemed too bothered by her odd behavior, as they still continued to come over to play with her after school and on their days off. Sometimes they could be annoying, always pestering her about boys and other things she had no interest in until she found some excuse to escape into the safety of her house and send them home.

But right now, even they would be a welcome change from the horrible silence consuming her days and nights. When dinner came, Kagome stayed in her room sullenly, unsurprised when no once came to check on her or bring her something to eat. Kuenai and Tsukau had both been absent from meal times over the past week, both caught up in their duties, and the Lady of Setsuna working overtime trying to figure out her problem.

As the sun began to set, the young girl finally gave in to her melancholy, falling asleep as silent tears tracked down her cheeks like golden pearls, lit by the warm colors of the fading light. She awoke several hours later as pain radiated through her leg. Squealing at the sensation, she stumbled to her feet, limping back and forth as quickly as she could.

"Charlie horse, charlie horse," she gasped out loud, as though identifying the problem would help get rid of the hurt. "Ouch ouch ouch ouch ouch...!"

In the darkness of the room, she couldn't see where she was going, and with a loud thump, the toe of her good leg made contact with the corner of her trunk of kimono. Crying out, she grabbed at the stubbed appendage, hopping around in pain as she tried to remain upright. Unfortunately, nothing seemed capable of going her way, and it wasn't long before her heel caught on the edge of the blanket she'd dropped in her haste to stand.

"_**Ahhh!**_"

With a lurch, Kagome fell backwards, lower back catching on the window sill and tipping her out through the opening. As she made contact with the ground face-first, the breath was knocked from her, adrenaline from the fall numbing her to the pain of impact momentarily. Coughing, she struggled to take a breath as tingling awareness began to spread outward from her limbs, alerting her to the throbbing in several parts of her body.

'_Man, this is going to leave some bruises..._' she thought to herself, managing to flip onto her back and push into a sitting position. '_At least this area is all sand!_'

Grateful to the meager cushioning that had probably saved her from serious injury, Kagome slowly gained her feet, brushing at her clothes and hair to rid it of the clinging granules. Seeing a nasty scratch bleeding on her forearm, the young girl was about to crawl back through her window and call for a servant when movement caught her eye.

'_What the..._'

Standing as still as possible, she watched the shadows covering the grounds closely, and was immediately rewarded when one of them began moving again, dashing across an open area from the main building to the outer wall. For a moment, the figure was caught in a shaft of moonlight, and Kagome gave a start as she recognized who it was.

'_What is _she_ doing out here right now?_' she wondered, watching carefully to see what the figure would do next. Amazement flooded her as she saw the person begin to scale the wall, before dropping out of sight on the other side. Not stopping to think about it, she quickly followed, using the natural handhold in the wall to heave herself up and over before falling into a crouch at the base on the other side.

Straining her eyes and ears, Kagome was alerted to her target's location by the sound of crunching twigs and leaves. Curiosity overcoming her aches and pains, she carefully followed the noises until she could see the shadowed figure again. Following her into the dark forest right outside the shiro, the young girl felt apprehension warring with her curiosity the further the got from the safety of the walls.

'_What is Izayoi doing out here this late?_' she wondered as she did her best to avoid stepping on anything that could give her away. As a result, she moved much slower than the princess, and it wasn't long before she was trailing the girl by sound alone. A bad feeling was growing in her gut, but something told Kagome she needed to keep going. She didn't know what it was, but the young girl knew that if she left Izayoi to go alert someone at the shiro, something bad would happen to the bratty royal.

Worry driving her, Kagome picked up her pace, determined not to loose the other girl in the enveloping darkness. The strange sounds of the forest had her on edge, and she was terrified that she'd be attacked at any moment by some strange animal hunting for it's nightly meal. The air was chilling the later it became, and soon her teeth were clacking together, small puffs of smoke forming in the air with each labored breath.

Still she followed the princess deeper into the wilderness, uncertainty and instinct cementing her resolve to not leave the other girl alone.

'_Even if she has left _me_ alone,_' she muttered to herself, becoming grouchy as the minutes turned into one hour, then two. She was impressed that the princess didn't stop to rest, and was dying to know what could have driven the other girl out into the woods in the middle of the night. Lost in her own thoughts, Kagome didn't notice that the sounds she had been following had ceased until she heard a blood-curdling roar in the distance. At the sound, she felt all of her fears and worries descend on her at once, freezing her where she stood.

"**Get away from her, you monster**!"

Izayoi's voice snapped her into action, and within moments Kagome was crashing through the trees and brush in the direction of the furious cry. Her bare feet that had helped her stay silent while pursuing the princess now hindered her. Pain lanced up her legs as her feet were cut by debris on the forest floor, and she tripped as roots and vines caught at her ankles in the darkness. Still she stumbled forward, determined to get to Izayoi as quick as possible.

Another roar split the air, followed by a scream of fright as the young girl finally broke the treeline into a small clearing. Looking up to find the princess, Kagome felt the blood drain from her face when she saw her suspended in the air by a large, clawed hand that belonged to what could only be described as a monster. Gray, oily skin stretched across the creature's body, covered with warts and ridges that gave it's vaguely humanoid shape a disfigured appearance. Large, yellow teeth gnashed together, while blood dribbled down from it's mouth, dripping from it's chin sluggishly.

A pair of coiled horns protruded from it's shoulders and forehead, set above a pair of glowing, red eyes that were now focused directly at her.

'_Oh Kami..._'

Kagome felt her body shaking in fear, and for a moment she wanted to run in the other direction, back to the safety of the shiro and the warmth of her futon. Part of her thought that perhaps this was a nightmare, but the aching pain in her body told her otherwise. It was only when the princess screamed in pain from the pressure of the claw holding her that Kagome could snap back to herself again. Panic coursing through her, the young girl searched the ground, looking for something which she could use as a weapon.

Finding a rock, she threw it as hard as possible at the creatures head. It fell far short, seeing as the beast was twice as tall as Tsukau, hitting it instead on the chest. The ploy did manage to get a reaction from the monster, and it dropped Izayoi as it came running at her.

"**Run!**" She screamed at the princess as she ducked back through the trees, hoping they would slow the monster down some. Ducking around trees, she tried to circle back around to the clearing, listening as the monster fell behind as the woods impeded it's way. Coming out of the trees on the far side of the clearing, the young girl ran at Izayoi, who was cradling a tiny, bloody object to her chest.

Skidding to a stop, she reached to pull the other girl up, shouting, "Come on, we have to go _now_!"

"I can't leave her!" the princess shouted, rushing towards another shadowed figure that Kagome had not noticed until then. Racing after her, she felt terror seize her as the monster burst from the trees one more, making a beeline for the other girl. Roaring, it swiped a large, clawed hand toward the small girl's back, intent on cleaving her in two.

Acting on instinct, Kagome ran at it, grabbing onto the creatures clawed appendage with both arms. The unexpected weight threw it's aim off, and it missed the princess by mere inches. Enraged, the creature shook it's hand in an attempt to get Kagome off, but she held on as tightly as possible, fear giving her strength. Her stomach churned with each violent swing, and she quickly tried to think of what she was supposed to do now.

The moment the shaking stopped, her eyes flew open, only to see the creature's other hand headed straight for her. Letting go, she fell a few feet to the ground and landed hard on her shoulder. Feeling immense pain blossom in the area, Kagome cried out, tears streaming from her eyes at the agony. She quickly pushed to her feet and scrambled towards Izayoi, who was watching the lumbering monster coming their way.

When she was standing in front of the princess, the young girl turned and held her arms out in a weak attempt to shield the other girl. A long, wickedly curved claw swept toward her stomach, and she closed her eyes as she waited for the inevitable.

'_Daddy..._' she whimpered to herself, feeling the familiar sharp pain needling her heart at the thought that at least she'd be able to see him soon. The pain increased quickly, growing unbearable even as the claw cut into her side, razor-like as it tore into her skin. Releasing a scream at the combination, the sensation in her chest changed into a furious heat that exploded through her body. Skin tightened as the inferno burned on, spreading out from her flesh in wave after wave of raw fury.

"**_Ahhhhhh_**!"

Her throat shredded under the force of her shrieks, and Kagome could feel herself choking on blood as her eyes finally shot open. To her amazement, a pink light seemed to be shooting out of her, so blinding she couldn't even see the monster trying to kill her anymore. There was a loud roaring in her ears from the energy pouring into the clearing from her body, but as it went on the pain in her chest lessened into a dull throbbing.

Soon, the light began to fade, and where there had once been a towering creature with dripping fangs, there was now nothing more than sparkling ash, which was quickly blown away by the cold breeze. Taking a deep breath, Kagome winced at the feeling of her torn vocals, hand resting gently over her neck. Knees trembling, she tried to turn only to fall to the ground in a dead faint. As darkness overcame her, the last thing she heard was Izayoi's startled voice.

"You're a miko?"

~O~

When she opened her eyes again, the blush of morning was already dusting the sky in rosy hues, warmth returning to take the chill dampness from the air. Someone was shaking her hurt shoulder, and Kagome moaned in protest at the rough treatment.

"Oh, I bet it's dislocated! Hold on," said a soft voice, and before the young girl could place the speaker a small pair of feet were pressed against her ribs. She didn't have time to brace herself before a matching set of hands were yanking on her arm, jerking it away from her body with a grunt.

Screaming in pain, the young girl felt a sharp pop, and within moments the pain had lessened, decreasing into an uncomfortable ache that left her limp with exhaustion. Turning her head, Kagome was startled to see Izayoi crawling back to her side, fingers tenderly prodding her shoulder.

"I think that should do it, but we need to get you back to the shiro."

Copper eyes looked directly at her, and the princess asked, "Do you think you can stand, Higurashi? You're too heavy for me to lift."

Opening her mouth to speak, she was stopped by a hand covering her mouth. Frowning up in confusion, she saw Izayoi scowl right back at her.

"You hurt your voice, and shouldn't try to talk. You had blood coming out of your mouth, so for now just nod your head."

Confused by the princess's concern but not wanting to cause herself further pain, she nodded, sliding her forearms under her to push into a sitting position. Her first attempt ended with her falling flat onto her back again, and she was shocked to realize how weak she was. Gritting her teeth, she tried again, and after a few minutes of struggling, she was sitting slumped over her legs.

'_What happened...?_'

Her memories were fuzzy, and she was having trouble focusing on a single image. Shaking her head lightly to clear it, she was overcome with dizziness. Regretting the motion as her stomach lurched unpleasantly, she grabbed at something to steady her, fingers latching onto a mass of silks. Looking at her hand, Kagome realized she was holding onto Izayoi's kimono and quickly released her hold.

"I'm going to help you stand, and then we can ride Mimi back to the shiro," the princess said, already moving to crouch behind her.

"Mimi...?" Kagome murmured throat protesting it's use. Grunting in effort as the other girl grabbed under her arms and pulled, she pushed with her legs, struggling to stand. Gaining her feet, she stumbled a bit, leaning heavily on the shorter girl's shoulder to keep from falling back to the ground. Izayoi answered readily, voice more conversational than it had ever been.

"Minashigo," she explained, pointing to a tiny cat that Kagome hadn't noticed until then. At least, she thought it was a cat. Small, the creature had light colored fur with black socks and ears, along with black stripes at the tip of it's two tails, which were part of why she was uncertain. The other part might have to do with the tiny animal's large, red eyes that looked out of place on a cat.

"I named her while I was trying to bind your wounds," the princess continued, a hint of sadness in her tone. Glancing to her face, Kagome was surprised to see tears gathered in the corners of the short girl's eyes, and it was only then that she understood the meaning behind the little creature's name.

Looking back towards the cat-creature, her memories finally swam into focus, and her first thought was of the large shape Izayoi had run towards when she should have been trying to get away.

_I can't leave her!_

Focusing back on the red eyes staring at her, Kagome imagined she could see a hint of sadness in them. That monster had turned the tiny cat into an orphan, and the young girl couldn't help but feel sorry for the creature. Never looking away from the red eyes that were focused so trustingly on her, she managed to rasp a question.

"Is s-she why- you c-came?"

She felt the other girl flinch, and turned to meet her regret filled eyes. The tears that had been pooling in the corners of her eyes fell, droplets winding down her dirt smudged cheeks as she nodded in response. Feeling her heart break for the princess's loss, Kagome used what little strength she had to squeeze the girl's shoulder in a comforting gesture.

'_She did have friends, they just weren't human,_' she thought to herself, understanding now how lonely the princess must have been. '_And then I tell her I'm there because her mother sent me... no wonder she didn't want anything to do with me._'

Thoroughly ashamed for not giving the princess the benefit of the doubt, Kagome decided to make it up to the girl by putting in a real effort. Up until now all she'd been concerned with was her own feelings and needs, never taking a moment to consider that she had been trying to use the girl now supporting her trembling frame.

"Mimi, can you carry us back to the shiro?" Izayoi's question brought her back to the present, and Kagome remembered what the princess had said before about riding the tiny cat-creature. Looking at it's small size, she was about to try ask how it would be able to carry them when a burst of energy skated over her skin.

Heat in the bottom of her chest flared to life in response, and the young girl felt her heart beginning to race when the energy disappeared as suddenly as it had appeared. Blinking her eyes in disbelief, Kagome saw a giant cat standing where before there had been a creature no bigger than a chihuahua. Stunned at the transformation, she barely noticed when Izayoi nudged her forward, too caught up in admiring Mimi's beauty in her new size.

'_Amazing..._'

After they were both settled comfortably on Mimi's back, the cat further surprised her by leaping into the air, carrying them above the tree's and then soaring over them. A gasp escaped her when she realized that they were actually flying, and with a laugh that pulled on her throat uncomfortably, Kagome stretched her arms out at her sides, delighting in the feel of air rushing over and under her palms.

Izayoi glanced back and smiled at her, the first smile she had ever seen on the other girl's face, and Kagome felt herself grow even lighter at the expression. As the shiro came into sight, the return trip taking only a fraction of the time as it had to get to the clearing, Kagome felt real hope blossom in her chest.

'_Perhaps we __**can**__ be friends after all..._'


	10. Chapter 10

**Before There Were Fairy Tales...**

by Faehime

**Chapter 10:**_A Seconded Opinion_

After arriving back at the shiro, Kagome had been taken immediately to her rooms to lay down while a doctor was summoned. Apparently, she had been so sore from the events of the night that she hadn't noticed the vicious tear in her side from the monster's claw.

Izayoi had told her it was actually an oni, a very nasty type of humanoid demon and said that they shouldn't have made it out of there alive. When Kagome had asked how they had survived, the princess had looked at her funny before telling her that the light she'd given off was in fact the purification energy of a miko. Surprised by the information, the young girl was amazed to learn that she had powers like Midoriko's, and excited.

'_Just wait until Grandpa find out that there's a real miko in the family!_'

After patching her up with a few stitches and the promise that the wound shouldn't leave a scar, the doctor declared both her and Izayoi healthy, which the Lady of Setsuna took to mean fit for punishment. The two children sat meekly for an hour while Kuenai laid into them, scolding them for sneaking out of the shiro in the dead of the night and scaring her half-to-death. Neither of them complained when the woman informed them that they were going to help in the kitchens as punishment for the next three days, far too grateful to be serving their penalty together.

The next few weeks were filled with much more joy and laughter for Kagome, and she spent most of her days with Izayoi and Mimi in the gardens playing games and telling stories. The princess still had a tendency to order her from time to time, but the young girl bore it in good humor, knowing that her friend didn't mean any harm. Instead she took her snobbery in stride, using it to pick on the girl more often than not, and she soon discovered that Izayoi appreciated her blunt and honest treatment.

"So many people just see me as the princess of Setsuna, or my mother's daughter," she explained one afternoon, idly stroking Mimi's fur as she reclined in the shade of the shiro. "But you treat me the same way I see you treat the servants. You don't talk down to me, but you don't show me the proper respect either."

Laughing at that statement, Kagome answered, "Well, my daddy always told me that you have to give respect to get respect, Izayoi-chan."

The princess thought about it for a moment, before nodding her agreement. "My father used to say something similar. He would say that in order to gain our subject's loyalty, we must be loyal to them."

A comfortable silence fell between them after that, broken only by the sound of Mimi's purrs. After a time, the princess asked softly, "Kagome-chan?"

"Hm?"

"What happened to your dad?"

It was the first time anyone had asked about her father, and Kagome was unprepared for the memories it brought back. Shoulders tense, the young girl looked at her hands, seeing them start to tremble as an onslaught of sensations swamped her, dragging her back to the day her dad had died. Eyes wide, Kagome chewed her lip in an effort to calm herself, breathing through her nose as the throbbing pain began to build in her chest again. Seeming to sense her turmoil, Izayoi quickly backtracked, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"It's alright, Kagome-chan. You don't have to tell me if it hurts too much."

That small reassurance helped to calm her down, and with a few deep breaths her panic subsided, leaving her feeling shaky and numb. Offering her friend a hollow smile, she sheepishly replied, "I'm sorry, Izayoi-chan. I just- it's too... hard, to talk about."

The princess smiled in understanding, before leaning back and closing her eyes. Mimicking her, Kagome leaned against the sun-warmed surface behind her, allowing herself to drift off into a dreamless nap. Between them, Mimi purred even louder, as though approving of the girl's decision to sleep the day away like a cat would.

~O~

Kuenai rubbed at her tired eyes, staring at the sheaf of parchment in her hands that she had just come across in concern. So far, she'd had no luck in finding any information about the Bone-Eater's well that Higurashi had come through, and was no closer to figuring out any way in which a person could traverse time in either direction. While there had been an ancient legend about a goddess freezing time, she'd quickly dismissed it as having no relevance to her current search.

For days she had scoured through her scrolls, trying to fit the many pieces of the puzzle that was Higurashi together, and she was starting to loose hope. Then, she had stumbled upon this single sheet of parchment, tucked loosely under a stack of scrolls detailing theories about reincarnation and reanimation. While it didn't give her any idea about how to get the child home, it did give her some thought at to the strange reaction Midoriko was having as a result of the child being in this time.

Glancing through the document again, Kuenai recognized her late husband's neat scrawl and felt a bittersweet smile dimple her cheeks.

'_How ironic that the one piece of useful information I do come across would be written by him,_' she thought to herself, amused at the idea that he was trying to help her from beyond the grave.

Taking the document back to her desk, she shoved piles of paperwork aside to make room for the short roll of paper. Reading through more carefully, the Lady of Setsuna began to grow worried as the implications of the document became clear.

"According to this, **if** Higurashi was Midoriko's reincarnation, their souls would each cancel the other by being on the same plane of existence," she reasoned, chewing on a worn nail absently.

'_But that would mean they'd both die, not experience a pulling sensation._'

But if the child wasn't Midoriko's reincarnation, why was her soul trying to escape to the girl? Reading further, she didn't find any useful information in the rest of the document. Going back up to the first paragraph, she read it out loud to see if it might reveal a clue to the mystery.

_::Each soul is a light in the darkness of the world, a flame which burns with experience and knowledge. When a life ends, it is as a candle's wick which has run it's course, trapped in a puddle of what it once was as the light gutters. However, before a light goes out completely, the flame can be transferred to another candle, another wick, and thus can a soul be passed on to another life. However, should that light ever come to face with the light that gave birth to it, it would be as a candle lit from both ends, quickly consumed by the flames of a soul existing where one already is. Unless the flame is contained, it can never meet with it's origin for fear of mutual destruction, and so a soul can never meet with itself on the same plane of existence without a way to contain it's call to the other...::_

"A way to contain it's call..." Kuenai murmured, face paling at the idea.

The only way she could think to 'contain' a soul were spells used to bind and seal a person's spirit to an object, usually imbuing it with power of some kind. However, it seemed impossible, as the only spells she'd heard of were all for sealing demons, not humans. If Midoriko's soul felt such a strong pull toward the Higurashi child, then it could mean that she had an object from the future that had been used at some point to seal the miko; but everything she knew spoke to the impossibility of such.

"I will need to get more information in order to find the truth," she said to herself, reedy voice firm in her decision. Thinking of the rest of the mystery she had yet to sort out, Kuenai couldn't help but feel her resolve solidify even further. Looking around at the disaster of her library, it occurred to her that this choice was inevitable either way.

'_I'll need to seek out assistance either way, since I have nothing that could explain how Higurashi came to be in the past in the first place,_' she reasoned, frowning petulantly at the mess surrounding her. It was the one downside to not trusting anyone near her precious scrolls, that she always had to clean up after herself in here alone. Rolling up her sleeves, she set about her task with fervor, knowing that the sooner she got it done, the sooner she could consider the matter of where to go next for information.

'_Perhaps my brother would have some ideas,_' she considered as she deftly re-rolled long sheafs of parchment before stacking them with a practiced grace on the appropriate shelves.

After discussing the matter with Tsukau later that evening, Kuenai decided to pay a visit to the Western Shiro and ask for aide from Lord InuTaisho. While the Northern Mountain Lord was bound to have a more extensive library, Tsukau had informed her of the Lord of the West's connection to a tree demon named Bokuseno, whose wood had been used in the creation of the Bone-Eater's well.

It was the best lead she had so far, and thus she immediately sent a message ahead to inform InuTaisho of her impromptu visit while she set about giving orders to prepare for the journey. Servants were quickly set to the tasks of packing clothes for her, Izayoi and Higurashi, knowing that to leave her daughter behind would only result in a headache when she returned.

The two girls had become as close as her and Midoriko were, and if she ended up finding a way home for Higurashi, her daughter would then be denied the chance to say goodbye to her first real friend. Besides that, Izayoi could keep Higurashi from causing too much destruction while she worked on finding the solution to her problem. Hopefully, by the time they left the West, they'd have an idea of how to get the displaced girl from the future back to the family everyone could see she missed.

~O~

Tsukau smiled down at the two girls currently wrapped around his legs. With great exaggeration he lifted his left leg than his right, slowly trudging towards the main courtyard where his sister was finalizing the traveling arrangements.

Kagome and Izayoi both giggled each time they were lifted into the air, delighted with their current mode of transportation and his half-hearted protests.

"Please, little ones, I am but an old man," he tried, wearing a look of long suffering as he allowed his shoulders to droop in mock exhaustion.

"No you're not, Uncle! Mother says you are hardly a year older than her," Izayoi corrected, her voice full of authority.

"Unless you're saying that Kuenai-sama is old too?" The other girl chimed in, voice filled with innocent curiosity even as she grinned at him mischievously.

Before he could respond to the loaded question, the tall man caught his sister glaring in his direction, and could almost feel the threatening flames of her ire. Swallowing heavily, he quickly backtracked, holding his hands up in defeat.

"Of course not! The Lady of Setsuna is known far and wide to be a flower of everlasting beauty," he called loudly, using his best all-charm-no-harm voice. Only after the woman in question had returned to her tasks, mollified expression allowing him a moment of relief, did he raise an eyebrow at the two grinning imps attached to him like child-sized kittens.

"Well played, girls. I am afraid that I am outmatched!"

Laughing at his theatrics, the two released him at last, running towards the sound of gentle mewls coming from one of the carriages. He watched as they pulled their newest pet from the back of the supply carriage, scolding it for trying to stowaway with them.

"Mimi, I told you, it's not safe for you where we're going!" Kagome cuddled the small nekomata, oblivious to the fact that it was technically one of her natural enemies.

Smiling fondly, Tsukau remembered his reaction to Izayoi telling him about Kagome's surprising abilities. Normally, a girl by her age would have been in training to control her powers, but it seemed that in her time such talents were no longer necessary. The young time-traveler had explained how demons and miko were mere legends in her time. This left them all to wonder what had happened to demons over the next few centuries, and Tsukau to wonder why, if there were no demons, Kagome had been born with spiritual energies.

'_Even Kuenai seemed perplexed, although she was adamant that it might have something to do with the reason Kagome had arrived in the past,_' he thought, recalling the way his sisters eyes had seemed weary at the news.

Her reaction in itself was odd, as normally his sister was dying to latch on to a good mystery or puzzle. However, after several discussion, the large man had begun to wonder if the challenge this child posed was too much for even Kuenai's astute mind.

'_Not much can stump her..._'

"Tsukau-sama!"

His musings were interrupted by the problem in question tackling him once more, spindly arms wrapping around his waist as she stared up at him with watery eyes. Chuckling, he felt warmth run through him at her familiar handling of his person. Over the past few weeks, she had become more and more comfortable with initiating contact, whether it be hugging him for no apparent reason or climbing in his lap when she woke up in the middle of the night and felt compelled to wander around the shiro.

'_I think I enjoy the comfort as much as she does,_' he reflected, placing a large hand on the top of her head as he smiled down at her.

"What is wrong, little one?"

She sniffled, lip trembling as she whined, "Are you **sure** you can't come with us?"

"I'm afraid so. I must remain here to run things in Kuenai's stead."

"But," Kagome protested, fingers pulling at his yukata in her distress. "If we figure out how to send me back I-I might never s-see you again!"

The tears she'd been holding back broke free on a soft sob, and the young girl buried her face in his clothes. His own heart ached at the thought of not seeing the tiny spitfire again, and Tsukau realized exactly how much he had come to care for her. While he loved Izayoi with all his heart, he would always be only an uncle to her. But with Kagome...

While he had only known her for a short time, the large man could easily imagine having a daughter like her one day. Smiling softly, he knelt down to wipe the tears from her cheeks.

Tweaking her nose lightly, he said, "It will be alright, Kagome-chan. We may yet see each other again, and if we don't, well..."

He leaned in close, his voice dropping into a playful whisper, "...we'll always have the **_crickets_**!"

His declaration had the desired effect, and Kagome shook with laughter as she recalled how, even after her room had been put to rights, it had still been several days before all of the crickets in there had been caught or died off. It had been on those nights she would wander the shiro until she found him, normally in his study or on a veranda reading by torchlight.

"I won't forget you, Tsukau-sama!" She giggled, planting a kiss on his cheek before running off at Izayoi's call.

Watching as she help the other girl chasing Mimi out of one carriage after another, he allowed himself a moment to wish that they never found a way to send her back to her time. While he knew she missed her family, he was going to miss her, and part of him wanted to be selfish and be the one she turned to for comfort. To be the father she had lost.

But knowing what was to come in the coming months, he could only pray that she did find a way to return to her time. The idea of Kagome getting caught up in the events that were about to unfold made his stomach churn, and he used this fear to banish any lingering desire he had for her to stay. Moving to go speak with Kuenai, he murmured his own vow to the girl who had stolen her way into his heart.

"I will _always_ remember you, little one."


	11. Chapter 11

**Before There Were Fairy Tales...**

by Faehime

**Chapter Eleven:**_Intro to a Short...Temper?_

After a week of traveling, Kagome wasn't sure she ever wanted to sleep indoors again. Each day had been filled with new sights and discoveries as they trekked through forests and fields towards their destination. They passed through a couple of villages as well, although they didn't linger any longer than necessary. The headman of each village came out to greet the Lady of Setsuna and her caravan, and after assuring their Lady that all was well or informing her of any shortages they might be experiencing, the company would once more head off. Traveling at an easy pace, they were making excellent time according to Izayoi, who had made this trip on several occasions over the years.

The princess's tutors had been left back at the shiro, and thus Kuenai had taken on the role of instructor. The arrangement turned out to be much more informative and entertaining than any classes Kagome had attended in the future, and with each day she looked forward to what the Lady would have to say. She taught them about plants that could be used for herbal remedies as well as those that were deadly poisonous. There were others that could be used as seasoning for meat and soups, and still more that could be eaten raw in a pinch, if you were caught without a means to hunt for yourself.

"You never know when circumstances might leave you lost in the middle of nowhere with no supplies," she lectured, her no-nonsense attitude catching each girl's attention. "If that happens, at least you'll be able to forage for things to keep your body nourished until you can find a village or someone to help you."

Whenever they came across animals or forest creatures, she would explain what they were and which ones to avoid. She would then explain either how to defend yourself or escape from the more dangerous animals, and by turns tell the girls how to set snares and traps to effectively catch others for a meal. And she didn't stop there. Often she'd have one of the trappers she'd brought with them go and catch something for the noon or evening meal. She'd then set about having them practice preparing the animal for the spit, which turned out to be one of the most disgusting thing's Kagome had ever done. She particularly hated the hot, metallic scent of the creature's blood, and even after washing her hands the young girl could smell the lingering scent upon her skin when she went to bed each night.

Kagome had known that Kuenai was knowledgeable, but had assumed that her learning would be limited to academic pursuits befitting royalty and the educated upper class of the time. Izayoii had taken the time to explain how odd it was to begin with that the Lady was so intelligent, not to mention the fact that she'd seen fit to educate Izayoi in the same manner that she had been.

"It's why I don't have any friends, even among other courtiers. Our family is considered far too strange, and they worry that my mother's beliefs will rub off on their kids," she said, voice matter-of-fact and without a hint of regret. Apparently, the princess wasn't fond of most children of the court, informing Kagome that most were unreasonably snobbish with a holier-than-thou attitude. Personally, the young girl couldn't help but feel amused by the princess's description of the other kids.

'_Because _you're_ not like that at all,_' her mind supplied sarcastically as the other girl began to snore softly.

Turning onto her back, she looked up and couldn't help the wistful grin that overcame her face. Because the thing she loved most of all about traveling across the countryside was night. When the sun fell below the distant crest of the horizon, millions upon millions of glimmering stars frosted the sky like the sugar crystals her mom had decorated her birthday cake with last year. She would struggle to stay awake into the late hours of darkness, following the path of the moon as it slowly rose to it's zenith. Fireflies of the sky, the stars seemed to move out of it's way in her imagination, sweeping aside like loyal subjects before their lord. It was one of the most amazing things the young girl had ever seen, and she treasured each waking moment before sleep stole her away into dreams.

"Are you not sleeping well?" Izayoi finally asked towards the end of the week, noticing the dark circles under Kagome's eyes.

She shook her head, explaining, "No, I've just been staying up late to watch the stars, and I'm kind of tired is all."

The princess had frowned at her response, before saying she was being foolish. Why stay up every night to look at something that is always there? She had smiled, before shaking her head in disagreement.

"Not in my time they aren't," she stated, earning a surprised look from both her companion and Kuenai, who had been listening to their conversation. Seeing their interest, Kagome informed them, "I mean, I'm sure the stars are still _there_, you just can't see them anymore. I live in the city, and all of the lights from the buildings block out the night sky."

Shrugging, she continued with a wry grin, "To see them you have to travel far outside of the city into the countryside, but even then you can't see this many. The world at large is just... too bright."

Izayoi had still looked skeptical, but eventually snorted, "That's still no reason to make yourself so tired, stupid."

"I'm not stupid!" Kagome protested, and in moments the argument had devolved into a contest to prove who was smarter.

The Lady of Setsuna took a moment to absorb this new information before turning her attention to the quarreling children. The next few hours were spent using their contest as a way to asses what they had learned over the course of the trip, eventually transforming into a new lesson for the day. Later that night, they'd been informed that they would be arriving at the Western Shiro on the morrow, much to Izayoi's excitement.

"Finally! I can't wait to take a bath and sleep in my own futon!" She muttered with obvious relief. Shifting to glance at Kagome from the corner of her eye, she'd continued with a small smirk.

"Of course, we'll have to put up with _him._"

Interest perked, the ten year old had snapped to attention, and ignoring the half-eaten meal on her plate asked, "Him who?"

The princess flapped her hand dismissively, face puckered with distaste. "Only the rudest, snobbiest, most irritating boy to walk the face of the earth."

"The Western Lord's son?" Kagome guessed, shocked by the venom in her companion's voice. While she hadn't shown any particular favor when speaking about any of the children of the upper ranks, Izayoi had yet to show such dislike for anyone since... well, since they had first met.

"Wait, so... you're saying he's _more_ annoying than _me_?" The young girl couldn't keep the disbelief from her expression, and it rise a notch when the princess merely nodded, confirming both her question and the fact that she was still considered 'annoying.'

'_I think I'm gonna like this boy... wait..._'

"How old is he? Is he close to our age?"

It was a perfectly reasonable question, and so she couldn't help but feel a little miffed when Izayoi started laughing at her. Crossing her arms, she bit her tongue as she waited for the other girl to calm down, knowing that anything she said right now would either bait the princess into teasing her more or result in the other girl shutting down and refusing to answer any of her questions for the rest of the night. However, it was Kuenai who answered, smiling eyes betraying her own amusement at the question.

"Not even close, Higurashi-chan. He is the son and heir to Lord of the West, and has been so for the past two-hundred and forty-nine years," she stated seriously.

Kagome fell over in shock, eyes wide as images of an old, decrepit man danced through her head. Something in her expression prompted the older woman to add, "As a demon, he ages much slower than humans, so he's still quite..."

She paused, eyes looking to Izayoi, who had finally calmed down but was still grinning devilishly. The two exchanged a look, a silent communication as the princess gave her head a barely noticeable shake. Kagome was oblivious to the quick, non-verbal conversation between mother and daughter, waiting for Kuenai to finish whatever she was saying.

"I think you'll find Sesshomaru is still youthful in appearance, Higurashi-chan. Quite the dashing young man, I might add."

She winked, and the young girl's mental image transformed from a grandfatherly man to one who was in his late teens. Frowning as her visual remained nothing more than a vague shadow, she realized that no one had told her what the rulers of the West looked like. Her query was met with yet another secretive smile, and Izayoi spent the next few hours before bed telling her all about the dog demon's of the Western Shiro.

By the time she laid down for bed that night, she was looking forward to meeting this Sesshomaru. If he could annoy her new friend as easily as her, then he'd probably be easy for her to get along with, and she couldn't wait to get to know him. Exhaustion soon overtook the young girl, and she quickly slipped off into dreams about a tall, dashing prince with long flowing hair and sparkling golden eyes.

~O~

"Who the hell are you?"

Kagome felt her eye twitch even as she heard Izayoi dissolving into laughter behind her. After arriving at the shiro, Kuenai had briefly introduced her to InuTaisho before urging Izayoi to take her to meet Sesshomaru while she discussed her business with the Western Lord. The two girls had immediately departed for the training dojo they'd been told he was training in, each of them eager for the meeting, but for radically different reasons.

The princess had entered the dojo ahead of her, and before she'd had a chance to look around for the infamous son of the Western Lord, the girl had loudly cleared her throat before holding her arm out with a flourish.

"I give you Sesshomaru-sama, heir to the West!" she declared formally, the effect ruined by the mocking tone to her voice. Peering around curiously, the young girl had been disappointed when she didn't see anyone in the dojo.

She'd been in the middle of asking her friend where he was when she'd been interrupted by the rude question asking who _she_ was. Now she stood staring into the face of a boy who barely reached her nose. Arrogant golden eyes glared at her as she continued to stare at him wordlessly, her illusions of a teen idol shattering in the face of reality.

Silver hair chopped close to the scalp stuck out at odd, uneven angles, and Kagome was positive that he'd probably done the cut himself. Maroon slashes tapered into points in the middle of his cherubic cheeks, and a large indigo crescent moon seemed to glow from the center of his forehead. He was wearing a green yukata and hakama outfit that made his pale skin look a sickly yellow, and in his small, clawed hand he clutched a worn looking bokken.

"_This_ is Se-"

"This Sesshomaru will not repeat himself, filthy human."

'_Well, that answers _that_ question, doesn't it?_' Kagome thought to herself, no longer in doubt as to who the midget in front of her was. Feeling her temper flare at the insult, the young girl was deaf to the crowing laughter coming from the princess now rolling on the floor as she frowned down at Sesshomaru.

Sniffing dismissively, she relaxed her expression into one of doubt before holding her hand up. Reaching forward, she held her palm even with the top of the arrogant demon's head before moving it toward herself. Raising an eyebrow, she looked down her nose they way she'd seen Izayoi do when upset with her before answering.

"My name is Higurashi Kagome, not '_filthy human_', and I'd say you should be feeling pretty lucky, Sesshomaru," she declared before moving to help Izayoi to her feet. The princess had calmed enough that she could stand, but she was still grasping her sides from the strain. She had barely turned to help the other girl when she heard the demon boy speak again.

"This Sesshomaru does not get '_lucky_', girl," he snarled, golden eyes flashing with anger. "Anything I achieve is done through hard work and dedication!"

Smirking at him and fully aware that he had purposely refused to use her name, Kagome drove in for the killing blow.

"Is that so? In that case, it must be good to know all your hard work has paid off," she paused, giving him a long look from toe to top before finishing, "You are obviously quite dedicated to being a shrimp, Sesshomaru. I don't think I've ever met anyone so... _what's_ the word I'm looking for?"

Tapping her chin, the young girl made a great show of thinking, allowing both the silence and the boy's rising anger to grow in intensity. Right as he went to open his mouth, she slapped her fist into her hand with triumph.

"**Runty!**" She exclaimed, delighted when Sesshomaru seemed to be rendered temporarily speechless in his fury.

Grabbing Izayoi's arm, she steered the now choking girl out of the dojo and back towards the shiro. Behind her came the sound of a small explosion as the boy threw the mother of all hissy-fits. Between growls and snarls she could hear him calling her names she was sure her mother would have washed her mouth out for, and couldn't help the feeling of victory flooding through her.

'_I guess I'm going to have to teach him too,_' she thought to herself, glancing sideways at the princess gasping for breath as tears of mirth streamed from her eyes. Smiling to herself, Kagome couldn't help but look forward to the challenge the small demon-child promised to be. Something told her Sesshomaru was going to be even **harder** to convince than Izayoi had been, but if she was going to be a guest here, he was going to be her friend.

'_Whether he likes it or not!_'


	12. Chapter 12

**Before There Were Fairy Tales...**

by Faehime

**Chapter Twelve:**_To Check the King_

Kuenai felt her fingers twitching as she eyed the doors on the far right wall of the Western Lord's study. The children had been dismissed earlier, but she still had not had an opportunity to explain the exact reason for her visit to InuTaisho.

The shiro was busy with preparations for Sesshomaru's coming of age ceremony, marking his 250th year of life and an exponential surge of his youki. During the ceremony, different provinces, rulers, and other persons of standing would come together to formally acknowledge the boy as InuTaisho's heir, and of course gauge his potential strength as a future Lord of the largest domain in Nippon.

As such, the current Lord had been sidetracked answering several missives regarding the preparations and plans for housing the many dignitaries. While she waited, Kuenai had entertained herself with visions of the library that lay only a dozen or so feet away from her, behind the ornate carved marble doors on the fall wall. Many aspects of the Western Shiro's architectural design were a far cry from the traditional building practices of the time, but in this respect the Lady of Setsuna couldn't help but appreciate the extra security for the precious knowledge stored within the stone walls of the library.

'_The vast array of scrolls that are hidden on the other side of that wall could hold the key to figuring out how to get Higurashi-chan home,_' she thought to herself, oblivious to the golden eyes watching her intense concentration.

'_It's just a bonus that the many sheafs of parchment and collection of bound books could be at my disposal in the next few days... no the next few __**hours**__!_'

A low moan vibrated softly from her throat unconsciously, and Kuenai bit her lip as she continued to eye the solid, impenetrable doors with the same heat as a lover. Her late husband, Soutozu had been one of the few to truly understand her appetite for knowledge, and had often used that passion to his advantage in... _less_ than honorable ways. Thoughts drifting away on the tangent of memories, the Lady didn't notice the way her breathing became labored, or her cheeks flushing with each tantalizing, _naughty_-

"I had no idea my study was so _titillating_, Kuenai-sama."

InuTaisho's teasing voice snapped her to attention, and the flushed woman felt her cheeks heat even further as she realized she'd been caught having less than pure thoughts.

'_About his library, no less,_' she grumbled to herself, meeting the demon's piercing gaze with an embarrassed smile.

"I-"

"It's fine, Kuenai-sama," he interrupted, laughter dancing in his eyes. "Soutozu had warned me about your tendency to, shall we say, _forget yourself_ when in close proximity to a library."

Frowning at the thought of her husband trading stories with InuTaisho about her... affliction grated on her nerves. Narrowing her eyes at the demon across from her, she pursed her lips as she made herself a silent vow to teach her wayward Lord a lesson once she joined him in death.

'_I don't care if he _is_ already dead, I'm going to __**murder**__ that indiscriminate lech!_'  
Unfortunately, that glorious moment would have to wait until she herself succumbed to the sweet embrace of time. For the moment, InuTaisho would have to bear her ire. Starting with wiping that superior masculine smirk off his too pretty face.

"Yes, my Lord was rather talkative when he was too far in his cups," she agreed, eyes grinning mischievously. "I remember he told me many an intriguing tale about yourself, InuTaisho-sama."

"Indeed?"

"Oh, yes! Like how you fell asleep during the middle of a meeting with the other Cardinal Lords! He said when they tried to wake you, that..." she paused, raising a dainty, ink stained hand to her mouth as she choked back laughter. "...that you actually **grabbed** Migawari-sama a-and... _spooned_ him!"

InuTaisho's face was a rather unbecoming shade of pink as she began giggling uncontrollably. His mouth puckered like he'd tasted something sour, and his eyes were swimming with regret for his previous teasing comments. However Kuenai wasn't finished, determined to put the old dog in his place.

"It was an-"

"Oh, oh... you simply _must_ tell me! Is it true that you once drank so much sake that you- you transformed and... and...," she snorted in an unladylike fashion, laughing through her nose in a way that her daughter had once said made her sound like a dying bird.

"...and spent the night trying to _s-scent mark the shiro_?" She gasped, eyes streaming with the evidence of her mirth. InuTaisho's face was slack with mortification, only adding to her good humor as she slumped to the side, a hand bracing against her aching ribcage.

"Because Tozu-chan spent days trying to capture how **high** you had your leg hiked, but-"

"Enough!"

The sharp command echoed through the room, and the Lady of Setsuna took deep breaths in an effort to calm herself. Appreciative golden eyes took in her smug expression, and he inclined his head with a respectful grin of his own. Kuenai eventually sat up again, waiting patiently while he studied her, proud to have taken him so off guard after so many years.

The last time she had visited, her husband had still been alive, and she had spent most of her time with the children or reading through her own research. While she was well acquainted with the Western Lord, this was the first time she'd ever matched wits with the man without her husband present, and a resonating pang of homesickness flickered in her heart.

'_How I miss you at times like this, my love. Although you are still going to pay for your loose lips, dear._'

"You are a worthy adversary, Kuenai-sama. I'll remember to not underestimate you in the future. Now," his expression twisted to show his burgeoning interest, "why have you come to visit after so long?"

Knowing that her opportunity had arrived, the Lady of Setsuna's eye twinkled with mischief as she considered the entertainment to be had by involving the great dog demon in the deepening puzzle that was Higurashi. All she had to do at this point was hope he'd be able to help her find some of the answers to the ever growing list of questions. With that thought in mind, she leaned forward, her voice dropped conspiratorially.

"Tell me, InuTaisho-sama... have you ever met someone who has _defied_ the bounds of time?"

A single, bushy eyebrow quirked at her query, and with barely a thought he answered, "I must say, I have not had the pleasure to meet such a powerful individual."

Sitting back, she shook her head with a knowing grin. "Then this is the part where I must inform you of how wrong you are, my Lord."

"Oh? And who is this being that supposedly has the strength to overcome the laws of time, my Lady?" His voice was mocking, but there was sincere curiosity in his bright eyes.

Smiling, Kuenai slowly rose to her feet before moving to stand at one of the windows behind his desk. Staring down into the gardens below, she couldn't help the chuckle that escaped her as she noticed three familiar figures running around haphazardly.

Looking back over her shoulder, goose-gray eyes clashed with polish-bright ones that were steadily awaiting her response. Having drawn out the suspense long enough, her answer was as challenging as it was informative.

"The ten-year old girl currently teaching your son how to play **fetch.**"

~O~

Kagome and Izayoi were still in stitches over how easy it had been to trick the "Runt of the Litter" as the princess had named him. It had been a rather simple prank, but the results had been beyond worth it. For nearly a half-hour the two girls had managed to convince the young prince to play fetch with a stick. It had taken the young girl a handful of moments to convince the prideful brat that if he was going to be Lord one day, then he should be able to do everything a regular dog could.

His face had contorted with irritation, and the lordling had taken the bait without another thought, declaring that anything a pet mongrel could do, he could do far better. The best part had been that _they_ hadn't even needed to throw the stick after the first try- he'd become so offended by their inability to pose a challenge, he'd started winging the stick as hard as possible before chasing after it with single-minded determination. When he'd returned the first time with the stick clutched triumphantly in his hand, she and the princess had glanced at each other before looking at the boy in disappointment.

"Well, I _guess_ that works," Kagome hedged, letting her tone show how let down she was by his performance. Looking offended when she took the stick from him unenthusiastically, his eyes had tinted red with anger. Honestly, the young girl had been fascinated by the strange sight, but decided she'd ask Izayoi about it later.

"Explain what you think this Sesshomaru did incorrectly," he bit out, voice thrumming with anger.

Sighing theatrically, Izayoi answered, "You have to catch it with your mouth."

Eyes narrowed with distrust, he countered, "You expect me to put a filthy piece of wood in my-"

"Well, even **I** can catch a stick in my hand," Kagome pointed out, knowing he'd be unable to argue the point. She was afraid that she might have laid it on too thick when he failed to respond, but then he clenched his fists before snatching the stick from her once more. Streaking after the flying object, he leaped gracefully into the air and caught it effortlessly in his mouth.

When he returned the second time with the stick laying innocently between his canines, Kagome had nearly ruined the prank by falling out then and there. Somehow though, the young girl had managed to control herself long enough to look unimpressed, before pointing out something else he had done wrong. This only served to encourage him to try again. And again. And **again**.

'_Silly brat!_' she giggled to herself at the memory of his efforts. Over and over he had thrown the stick further and further, and each time she had merely shrugged and feigned a look of disinterest before coming up with another nonsense reason for him to have another go at it. This went on for close to an hour without the young lordling suspecting them of deceit. Until the last time of course, when Izayoi had finally cracked and fallen to the ground, laughter hissing out from between her clenched teeth as her shoulders twitched violently in mirth.

To say that Sesshomaru hadn't been pleased was an understatement. Face twisted in rage, the shrimp of a demon had stalked off into the shiro, leaving the two of them to roll around the garden as they giggled madly. It had been several hours since then, and they had still not seen any sign of the silver-haired boy. Fortunately, dinner was going to be served soon and there was simply no way he'd be able to avoid them then.

Arriving in the dining room, the two girls were informed that neither the Lord of the West nor Kuenai would be joining them for the evening meal. Kagome couldn't keep the grin from her face, and she practically skipped to her seat. Izayoi followed her, a dark smile stretching her lips as well.

"You know what this means, right?" the princess asked her, demurely unfolding a napkin across her lap.

"Yup," she paused, watching as Sesshomaru walked into the dining room and stared at them, a sour expression on his face. Lowering her voice to barely a whisper, the young girl leaned in and ordered, "Follow my lead, and giggle like I just said something funny."

On cue, the princess covered a smile as she snickered quietly, while Kagome focused a knowing grin directly on the vertically-challenged demon walking towards them. He was dressed completely in a pale yellow yukata with the sleeves tied back and out of the way, and it allowed her to see thin, magenta slashes on both wrists that matched the markings on his face.

'_I wonder why his markings are that color,_' Kagome thought, recalling how brighter colors on animals usually meant they were poisonous while the boy seated himself across from them. Still watching him, the young girl frowned to herself when she realized there was something different about his appearance. It wasn't until Sesshomaru tucked loose, silver strands behind a pointed ear that she realized what it was, and her eyes widened with shock.

Forgetting herself in her curiosity, she exclaimed, "Are you wearing a wig?"

Izayoi looked up at her outburst, glancing between Kagome and the demon-child glaring at her as the servants brought in their evening meal. Even the staff were stunned momentarily, pausing for a breath of a second to look at the strange girl waiting impatiently for an answer to her question. Being the center of so much attention had her blushing, but Kagome did her best to ignore the looks being sent her way.

After a pregnant silence, Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow at her before asking, "Are you an idiot?"

Temper flaring, she narrowed her eyes at the brat across from her in fury as she snapped, "No! Do you have to be such a jerk? I was just wondering how your hair got so long so quick!"

Multiple gasps reverberated throughout the room at her waspish response, servants glancing nervously between her and the heir to the West, wondering how he would react to the rude girl. A dark look from the corner of his eye sent them scurrying from the room, their duties complete until the meal was over and clean-up was needed. Kagome was busy angrily spearing food onto her plate, muttering under her breath about getting attitude from brats, while Izayoi looked to be moments from choking on her tea in her amusement.

The next hour passed in a tense silence, the only sounds coming from Kagome herself as she violently stabbed at her food, chopsticks clattering against her plate and grumbling to herself between bites. Se missed the subtle looks Izayoi kept shooting her, irritated by the fact that not only had she been called stupid, but also that she _felt_ stupid. Everyone seemed to know the reason behind the young prince's hair being longer but her, and the more she thought about it, the angrier she became.

'_I'm _not_ an idiot. It's not my fault I don't know. Would it have _killed_ him to tell me?_'

Her mind kept circling around this train of thought, and as a result she completely forgot about her plan to prank the golden-eyed boy who seemed as irritated with her as she was with him. The princess eventually stopped trying to get her attention, and as the meal drew to a close, she spoke up herself, startling both Kagome and Sesshomaru.

"Hey Kagome-chan, think you could beat this squirt at the tea-cup challenge?"

~O~

Izayoi picked at her food, annoyed both at the stuffy prince sitting across from them and her new friend, who was currently eating like a heathen commoner. With every clatter of her chopsticks and grumbled complaint with a mouth full of food, the princess stiffened more, until her body was rigid with tension. When Kagome slurped at her tea in an attempt to maintain her glare over the rim of the cup, she had to stop herself from throwing her napkin down and leaving the table. Bad manners were a pet peeve of hers, and Kagome's behavior was driving her up the wall.

'_She didn't get this mad when _I_ called her stupid,_' Izayoi groused internally, a bit put out by the fact that, while they were friends now, when she had attempted to insult the girl from the future it had never had **this** kind of result. Jealousy rearing its ugly head, she frowned at the annoying boy who was too focused on returning Kagome's glare to notice her eying him with disgust.

'_What is so great about _him_ that makes his insult __**worse**__?_'

She shot another glance at her friend, nudging her under the table with a chopstick in an attempt to get her attention back on the matter at hand. Face puckering when the other girl didn't respond at all, the princess felt her eye twitch with rage.

'_She has completely forgotten that we are supposed to be making that runt of the litter beg for mercy!_'

Spearing a pickled plum from her plate, she chewed it thoughtfully as she tried to ignore Kagome slurping noisily at her tea again. When her friend slammed her cup back down, Izayoi felt an idea flicker to life inside her mind. Remembering the trick that Kagome had pulled on her, the princess felt a plan forming that not only took care of Sesshomaru, but also got her a bit of revenge on the girl currently ignoring her.

Not stopping to consider the outcome of what she was about to do, the princess silently congratulated her own cleverness as she waited for her companions to finish their meals. Seeing the heir to the West take his last bite, she laid her own napkin on her plate, a determined light in her eyes.

Turning to her friend, who was still lost in her own angry world, she asked, "Hey Kagome-chan, think you could beat this squirt at the tea-cup challenge?"

While her friend looked at her in surprised confusion, Izayoi watched Sesshomaru from the corner of her eye turn a bright red.

Turning on her, he snarled, "Who are you calling a sniveling, little shrimp, you kimono-wearing cow?"

Smirking at his outburst, she ignored his insult for now, knowing she was about to get back at him for it if she could get him to take the bait. Folding her arms into her sleeves, she looked down her nose at the lordlings shaking shoulders and with a sneer exclaimed, "I mean, you beat _me_ easily enough, so I don't think he would be **much** of a challenge for you, but-"

"This Sesshomaru would _never_ loose to some idiotic girl!"

A bang echoed through the room as Kagome slammed her hands on the table, leaning forward with an evil gleam to her eye. Glaring at the shorter boy who wasn't backing down, her voice was sugary sweet as she asked him, "You want to bet on that, runt?"

When Sesshomaru started ranting about the insult to his height, Izayoi allowed a devilish grin to split her lips. She had often played chess with her father before he'd died, normally during the winter months when the snow piled up too deep for her to go outside in the gardens. While she hadn't played a game since, despite her uncle's many offers to be her opponent, she still remembered the satisfaction of setting her pawns up for the killing blow. Watching her new best friend having a shouting match with her arch enemy, the princess couldn't help but feel that same satisfaction flow though her now.

'_Checkmate._'


	13. Chapter 13

**Before There Were Fairy Tales...**

by Faehime

**Chapter Thirteen:**_Compromises, Sacrifices and What Must Be Done_

After a lengthy argument that was more both of them shouting over one another, Izayoi had managed to drag her and Sesshomaru apart long enough to explain the rules of the challenge. Kagome was grateful that her friend had managed to keep her head, and felt bad for allowing her temper to distract her from their goal. She had spent the entire meal so focus on being mad that she had completely forgotten the trick she'd been planning to pull on the pint-sized demon, and she couldn't help but be proud of her friend for coming up with a plan on her own.

'_Even if it _is_ the same trick I pulled on her,_' she thought to herself with a smirk, sitting down next to Sesshomaru while Izayoi poured four cups of tea full. Picking up the first two cups, the princess looked at Kagome, who nodded her head in understanding. In order to make sure that the runt didn't suspect a trap, she knew she'd have to allow herself to be trapped first. The pressure of the cups wobbled slightly, and Kagome pressed her palms harder against the surface of the table to make them more balanced.

After Izayoi had placed the cups on top of Sesshomaru's hands the princess had stepped back, arms folding as she surveyed her work with a smile. Kagome waited patiently for her to come over and free her so they could leave, gloating triumphantly together, but the seconds ticked by while her friend continued to stand there smirking. When she finally spoke, the young time-traveler felt the blood leave her face.

"Well, I think my work here is done!"

"Izayoi, I think you're forgetting something," Kagome hedged, not wanting to reveal the trick until she had been freed, which was looking less and less likely by the moment. When the princess shook her head, she couldn't help the anger that began boiling inside her. If she had been mad at Sesshomaru before, it was nothing compared to the rage that filled her at the other girl's next remark.

"Sorry, Kagome-chan, but I am probably never going to get another chance like this so... enjoy your time here with the runt-of-the-litter!"

Up until then, Sesshomaru had been looking between them with growing suspicion, but when Izayoi made to leave he called after her, "If you leave, we will be stuck here until a servant finds us!"

Her voice floated back with laughter coloring her tone, "That is where you are wrong, Sesshomaru-sama. I am going to let the servants know that you asked not to be disturbed for any reason!"

She turned back at the doors, moving to slide them shut as she finished her gloating, "Feel free to thank Kagome-chan! She pulled this trick on me, and because of it, I have finally managed to outsmart you, runt!"

With a snap, the doors slid shut, muffling the manipulative princess's victorious laughter and leaving the two children alone in a suffocating quiet. Kagome could see ripples covering the surface of her tea as she trembled with anger, but she did her best to hold still, not relishing the thought of getting the warm liquid all over her kimono. She wasn't going to give Izayoi the satisfaction of her spilling even a drop on herself.

"I can't believe she would-"

"And what did you expect, you foolish girl?"

Obviously, Sesshomaru's temper was more frayed than her own, but his snarled rebuke had her unleashing her own sharp tongue on him.

"We were **supposed** to be on the same team!" She scowled at him, teeth grinding together when he didn't even look her way.

"Then you _are_ an idiot. Humans are not known for being loyal to anyone but themselves."

"Well then _you_ don't know humans as well as you think you do," she shot back, thinking of her dad and Tsukau, both of them loyal to a fault. "Besides, if you hadn't been such a jerk earlier, none of this would have happened!"

That caught his attention, and the young boy met her eyes with his own angry, golden gaze. Before he could open his mouth, she started in again, allowing her frustration from being tricked by her own friend and her current companion's bad attitude pour out of her all at once.

"I mean, what is your problem with me anyway? I had been looking forward to meeting you after that brat had told me how much you made her angry, and then you just- just- blow up and call me names before you even know me!"

She glared back at her trapped hands, resisting the urge to clench her hands into fists. Shoulders shaking, she continued, "You're just like her! I didn't mean to get trapped in the past, and I'm trying to make the best of it, but of course, the only two kids my age I meet, and both of you have to treat me like dirt! Neither of you even gave me a _chance_, and I-"

Her vision was blurring as tears began to gather in her eyes. Shaking her head, she blinked them away, furious when a single, cold droplet trickled down her cheek without her permission. She was not going to let this mean, rude boy see her cry, no matter what. Clenching her eyes closed to stop any other tears from escaping, her voice was softer, but no less angry when she opened her mouth again.

"All I want to do is go home, but I can't. So, I thought, if I could at least make friends, then maybe I could stand being here until I can go home. But that obviously isn't going to happen."

With a sigh, she opened her eyes and glared down at the cups that kept her hands plastered to the table the same way the missing well kept her stuck in this time. Silence fell between them again, and she started counting in her head, hoping to calm down enough to think of a way out of her own prank. She had almost made it to 1000 when his voice made her loose count.

"Yes."

The unexpected answer had her head shooting up, brown eyes shooting daggers at the boy who had just spoken. Still feeling grouchy, she practically growled, "Yes, _what_?"

Sesshomaru's golden eyes were looking straight at her, his expression unreadable but no longer filled with the anger or contempt that had previously been there.

"You asked if I _had_ to be such a jerk," he explained. She blinked at him, still confused for a moment. Once her brain caught up with what he was saying, she leveled him with a look of disbelief, one dark eyebrow arching high as she pursed her lips.

After a moment she asked, "And your answer is yes?"

At his nod, frustration and confusion battled for dominance as she wondered why he couldn't simply explain what he meant without her having to ask. Secretly, she began to wonder if she wasn't being an idiot, as the look he was giving her made her feel like his reasons should be obvious.

Curiosity winning over her wounded pride, Kagome asked, "Why?"

Keeping a straight face, he asked seriously, "I am guessing from your claim of friendship with her that you have spent time talking to the princess of Setsuna, correct?"

When she nodded, he deadpanned, "Then you have your answer."

It took a few minutes for it to sink in, but once she realized what he meant, Kagome couldn't help but burst out laughing. The demon stuck with her had just admitted to being rude simply to avoid having to talk to her new found friend, and the idea was simply too funny. A splash of cold liquid brought her back to her senses, and she calmed herself quickly to avoid spilling anymore of the precariously balanced tea still weighing her hands down.

Grinning at her reluctant companion, she gave him a conspiratorial wink before saying, "She _can_ be a bit much, huh?"

His expression didn't really change, but his eyes seemed to soften as he hummed in agreement. Another silence fell between them, but this one was much less tense. An idea on how to get free had formed in her mind, but she stalled, wanting to see how much more she could get out of Sesshomaru while she had the opportunity.

"Sooo... not to sound stupid _again_ but," she paused before blurting out, "How is your hair longer?"

He didn't look at her as he answered softly, "I am a demon."

When he didn't elaborate, Kagome prompted, "Okay, I knew that. Does that mean your hair grows super fast or something?"

Golden eyes flashed with amusement as he agreed, "Or something."

Realizing she probably wasn't going to get more information out of him on that subject, the young girl switched gears, refusing to give up so easily. Her father's words echoed in her mind again, and she took them to heart this time. If she could manage to make friends with Izayoi, then she was even more determined to make a friend of this difficult boy.

'_Sometimes the thing we want the most is the thing we didn't even know we needed._'

"So why do you cut it?"

He looked at her in surprise, and she gave herself a cheer when after a moment he smirked at her with mischief. His response had her giggling again, as it reminded her of some of the things she had done to defy her own parents.

"My mother likes it long."

She noticed that he was no longer referring to himself by his own name, and took it as a good sign. Thinking of what to ask next, she was surprised when he took the initiative, asking his own question.

"You were looking forward to meeting **me**, even though you are Izayoi's friend?"

There was caution in his voice, one that made her wonder if he didn't believe her claims. Remembering exactly who she'd originally been looking forward to meet, Kagome felt her cheek heating with embarrassment. She had pictured Sesshomaru as a tall, good looking teenager or young adult, and even though it had only been a mental image, part of her had already developed a crush on the fantasy she had created. Not that it had been completely her fault- Kuenai and Izayoi had deliberately misled her with their descriptions of Sesshomaru, and she added the Lady of Setsuna to her mental list of people she needed to get back at.

'_It will be harder with a grown-up, but I'll think of something._'

Clearing her throat when she noticed Sesshomaru was still waiting for her answer, she flushed further when she realized that she had blatantly told him that she had _wanted_ to meet him. She refused to take it back though, and so she met his gaze when she answered, wanting him to believe her no matter what.

"Of course! You think you're the only one she annoys?" Smiling, she giggled at the confused expression on his face. "How could I not want to be friends with someone who can help me keep that brat from being so full of herself? I mean, look where we are now!"

When she pointed out their current predicament, a moment passed before a real smile bloomed on Sesshomaru's face, and the young girl felt happiness fill her at the sight. This demon seemed much more reasonable than the princess had been, and she could only hope that after they were free he didn't turn on her again.

'_And speaking of getting free..._'

Crinkling her nose with a crafty smirk, Kagome bent over one of her hands until her lips had latched onto the edge of the cup on top of it. Ignoring etiquette, she started slurping the tea up, gulping mouthful after mouthful. Once it got so low she couldn't reach the tea anymore, she carefully grabbed the cup in her teeth and lifted until her hand was clear. With one hand free, she downed the rest of the tea before moving the other cup off her still-trapped hand.

Smiling victoriously at her comrade, she reached over and plucked the cups off both of his clawed hands, thrilled at the amazed look he was sending her. Standing to stretch out the kinks in her back, she waited for him to do the same before asking the most important question of all.

"So, any ideas on how to make Izayoi pay?"

~O~

'_Soutozu, what a mess you've left for me._'

Tsukau was dutifully reading over documents he had read dozens of times already, looking for anything that he might have missed that could help him. Before his death, the Lord of Setsuna had confided many secrets to his trusted diplomatic adviser, information about events that had happened, were happening and that had yet to happen.

After marrying Kuenai, The Lord of Setsuna had been gifted with a vision of his own death, and once he realized he would not be able to influence what was to come, he had charged Tsukau with making certain that specific events were set upon the correct paths to ensure the future.

It was a task he did not relish, and the amiable man had even tried a few times to defy what was to come, but to no avail. Now though, with the missive he'd received informing him of the arrival of an emissary from the continent, Tsukau knew that all he could do was fulfill his Lord's last request and order.

'_You could have left me better prepared though,_' he thought sardonically, knowing that his friend had done his best to do everything he could before he had fallen ill. Despite his reluctant role in all that was about to happen, Tsukau was determined to do what was needed. Rubbing tiredly at his eyes, he stood, knowing that there was no more he would be able to do this night at least.

Stomach rumbling unpleasantly, he belatedly remembered that he had skipped dinner to make preparations for the arriving emissary and the contingent of soldiers from the continent. Deciding to go and scavenge himself something to eat before he went to bed , the tall man grinned mischievously as he contemplated the scolding he would get tomorrow from the old cook that ran the shiro's kitchen. She was always put out when he skipped meals, and after an incident where he had accidentally consumed a special dish she'd set aside for a visiting dignitary from the south during a late night raid, the spry woman had banned him from her domain for good.

'_I just hope she doesn't whack me with the ladle again,_' he thought with a wince, remembering the knot she'd given him the last time she'd caught him sneaking food.

Feeling devious, he was making plans to rearrange on of the pantries when a flash of red caught his eye. Turning to see what it was, Tsukau found himself looking at the drawing where he had first met Kagome. Grey eyes dulling as seriousness reasserted itself, Tsukau allowed his fingers to trace the outline of the smallest of the figures on the large image.

Worry filled him, along with the urge to go back to his rooms and look through all the documents on his desk again. It was true that no one knew who any of the figures on the battlefield were, beyond a vague speculation concerning the warrior's relation to the Lord of the West's line.

No one, except for Soutozu... and him. And with the Lord of Setsuna dead, Tsukau was now the only one who knew the identity of a single figure in the image, and his heart ached with the knowledge. The former Lord had told him that he'd had a vision of a young girl arriving at the shiro shortly before someone from the continent would arrive with an offer of marriage for his daughter.

"I don't know who she is, or where she is from, but she will come seeking aide. The child will not find what she is looking for here, and her stay will be short as a result."

Soutozu sighed, running an ink-stained hand lovingly across the image even as his expression filled with disgust. Tsukau was aware of the conflicting feelings the older man had for the visions he was granted, in particular the visions surrounding the battle depicted in this drawing. He waited patiently for his long-time friend and Lord to continue, and was quickly rewarded when his deep voice rumbled through the room again.

"I have seen her, brief flashes, in many of the other events that will come to pass leading to this battle. Only her most of the time, and never who she is with, which leads me to believe that whoever this girl is traveling with will be central to the outcome of the war to come," he said, frustration coloring his words. Intelligent eyes the color of tilled earth focused on him, the intensity of his gaze emphasizing the importance of his words.

"**She** is central to what is happening, and her fate has already been decided. I know not the outcome for anyone else who will be caught up in the battles to come, except for her."

Tears began to drip down the older man's cheeks, and Tsukau found himself asking, "And what is the child's fate, Soutozu-sama?"

For a moment, the older man didn't respond, his watery gaze locked on something only he could see. The tall man could imagine that perhaps he could see the mystery child's face in his mind's eye, and was lamenting what he saw in her future. At length he replied, his voice resolute and unforgiving.

"She is going to die before she reaches her eleventh summer in this world."

Silence rang around them, and the tall man allowed his eye to linger on the small, shadowy figure of a girl he had never met, sadness in his heart for a child who would die in the fighting that would come. His mouth opened before he could stop himself, and he asked his solemn companion if he had seen how she died.

"I have, and that is what grieves me most. For you will want to do everything in your power to change it, but will fail to do so," he whispered, hand clenching over the drawing as his emotions threatened to overwhelm him. Drawing in a breath, he looked at Tsukau with pained eyes before speaking, the Lord's next words stealing the warmth from his heart.

"She is going to die protecting **you**."

Ears ringing as desperation raced through his veins, Tsukau felt tears rolling down his own cheeks as he remembered his friends words. They echoed through his soul, calling for him to do **something**, to defy all the plans they had put in place and try to save this innocent girl who was going to die for him. Grey eyes closing as a soft sob dropped him to his knees, the normally optimistic man hung his head in despair, knowing that he couldn't do anything to stop what was to come, no matter what he wanted.

~_...her fate has already been decided._~

No longer feeling hungry, Tsukau stumbled back to his feet, turning to go back to his rooms with one final, lingering look at the shadowed figure of a child in the midst of a battlefield. Swallowing heavily, he headed back to his rooms, only one thought on his mind.

'_I won't let Kagome die._'


End file.
